Ethereal
by Persona13
Summary: The fate of a Puella Magi is fairly grim. Fight against Witches and risk death or don't and eventually become a Witch yourself. In many worlds, this is the case. But not this timeline, as Homura Akemi learns. There are individuals charged by fate to protect those special girls from despair. They bring sorely needed hope to the hopeless. They are Excorcists, and they are Legion.
1. Shifting Shadows

Alright, this is (obviously) a new story. It will be considered to be of lower priority than Braver, but I intend on updating this semi-regularly. The idea is fairly simple, the _Puella Magi Madoka Magica_ world is fairly dark. I thought, what if in one of the timelines Homura traveled to there were people who are fully aware of the Magical Girls (referred to by Exorcists as Puella Magi) and try to make everything easier? Individuals who have their best interests at heart and actively try to prevent them from turning into Witches at any personal cost? So this idea formed into a story that may or may not be any good. Hope you enjoy it!

* * *

Prologue

Shifting Shadows

My name is Alex Rockholt.

I am an Exorcist. An individual chosen by fate to shoulder the burdens of certain special girls. We relieve their pain, banish their fear, and ease their grief. We protect them from beings known as Witches, which they are charged to defeat.

The irony? We use the power of those Witches to protect those girls. The source of our power? Grief Seeds. The corrupted Soul Gems of Puella Magi, also known as Magical Girls.

The vast majority of Exorcists have a single Grief Seed in their possession, corresponding to a single Puella Magi that they are charged to protect. I have more. Five, to be exact. I should clear this up, but a Grief Seed possessed by an Exorcist does not tend to be connected to a specific Puella Magi. We are assigned Puella Magi as they appear. This only applies if the Exorcist in question has a single Grief Seed.

I have five. And if Kyuubey, the source of Puella Magi and Witches, can be believed; they are the Grief Seeds of the future Witch forms of my girls. That sounds too possessive... I'll just call them my charges. Sounds much better. Anyway, where was I?

Kyuubey. Right.

Alright, Kyuubey has identified one of the Puella Magi. Mami Tomoe, or Tomoe Mami in her country. Her Soul Gem is apparently the original form of my Candeloro Grief Seed. I wonder what she's like? If she's anything like Candeloro, I don't have anything to worry about.

I don't know if this holds true for other Exorcists. but my dreams are the domain of the Witches of my Grief Seeds.

Maybe someone can tell me who my Seeds are connected to if I give the names of my Witches...

Candeloro, the inviting Witch of Dress-up.

Homulilly, the self-sufficient Nutcracker Witch.

Ophelia, the Wǔdàn Witch of abandonment.

Oktavia von Steckendorff, the loving Mermaid Witch.

Kriemhild Gretchen, the merciful Witch of Salvation.

Regardless, I should note how our magic works. Unlike Puella Magi, the mechanics of our abilities depend on the Grief Seed we use. For example, Mami apparently uses ribbons in her spells. I understand that she began to expand into firearms, but she started with ribbons. Exorcists are not limited to a theme, but to spells that we 'load' into our Grief Seeds. Also, the nature of the Grief Seed we use affects the spells we 'load' into them.

For example, Kriemhild Gretchen is so powerful that any offensive or defensive spell I use is severely overpowered. I once tried to create a barrier. Said barrier managed to tank the assault of a very powerful Witch that lasted twenty seconds. Without any evidence to show it took any blows. However, if I try to heal others; there is no issue. In fact, healing spells are more efficient when I draw on Kriemhild Gretchen. Also, Kriemhild Gretchen seems to willingly aid me when I attempt to exorcise a Witch. This is very helpful considering that it can be a major pain in the ass sometimes.

Anyway, Kyuubey has secured me a place in Mitakihara City, which is very nice. After all, that's where Mami is. That's where I need tooooooo-"what the hell, Kyuubey!?"

"I was under the impression that you wanted to go to Mitakihara immediately. Was I wrong?"

"First, don't say 'I was under the impression'. No one says that in English anymore. Use 'I thought' instead. Second, you should wait for verbal confirmation before dragging a person halfway across the globe! Third, I can't speak Japanese!"

"That can easily be rectified."

"Oh, this is gonna suck..."

One minor mind hack later...

"Are you okay?"

"Go to hell..." That hurt like a dozen sonsofbitches had a family reunion in my skull. Pardon my language.

"Write it. You know you want too."

"You are creepy as hell, you know that right?"

"You've told me many times. It is extremely fun to creep people out."

"You fucking troll, I knew you were doing it on purpose."

"I try."

"Asshole."

So now I am in Mitakihara City. I just don't know where I am.

Wait, somethings off...

I look down.

"SON OF A BITCH!" That scares Kyuubey; as much as an emotionless, wish-granting, reality warping alien bent on preventing the destruction of the galaxy via the Second Law of Thermodynamics can be scared. Win for me.

"Is there something wrong?"

"Is there something wrong? IS THERE SOMETHING WRONG? Kyuubey, I was nineteen when I woke up this morning. Why do I look like I did when I was fourteen?"

"Because Tomoe Mami is fifteen years old. If you were nineteen, you could be investigated for statutory rape and possibly pedophilia." He says this in a completely flat voice. No inflection at all.

"Word of advice, remember to use inflection when you are trying to comfort someone who is freaking out in front of you."

"And if I am not?"

"Use diplomacy."

He seems perplexed.

"Diplomacy? What does that have to do with comforting others?"

"Diplomacy in this instance is best explained by a quote from William Churchill. 'Diplomacy is the art of telling someone to go to hell in such a way that they actually look forward to the trip'."

"Any other way of explaining human diplomacy?"

"Yes. Another quote explains how to diplomatically handle people you can't stand. This one is from Will Rogers." I take a moment to clear my throat. "Diplomacy is the art of saying 'Nice Doggie' until you can find a rock."

"Is there another?"

"You can bet your ass there is. This one comes from Daniele Varè. 'Diplomacy is the art of letting someone else have your way.' This version concerns manipulation and trickery."

"Fascinating. Humans are such an unusual species."

"You sound extremely interested, you fucking piece of stone. Remember, you need to emulate emotions in order to seem trustworthy to potential Puella Magi."

"Language. Remember, you are supposed to be fourteen years old."

"Like I give a fuck. So long as I am in my house and there are no visitors, I will swear as I see fit."

It doesn't seem he has anything else to say at the moment. I should probably finish what I was doing before I was dragged halfway across the planet.

But before I finish _Inferno_ , I need to continue researching potential new spells. I should probably write a spellbook or something. A spellbook, wouldn't that be hilarious.

I would like to take a moment to appreciate the irony of an Exorcist protecting what could easily be considered undead witches from undead demons created by the despair of other undead witches.

...

...

Moment over. Moving on, I need to create a checklist of shit I need to do.

Discover the Puella Magi of Candeloro. Check.

Make a hat out of Kyuubey.

Discover the Puella Magi of Oktavia Von Steckendorff.

Discover the Puella Magi of Homulilly.

Discover the Puella Magi of Ophelia.

Discover the Puella Magi of Kriemhild Gretchen.

Finish _Inferno_.

Prevent the reemergence of the Witch from forty-two years ago.

"Kyuubey."

"Yes?"

"What was the name of the Witch that appeared forty-two years ago?"

"Which one?"

"April first, nineteen seventy three."

"You mean Walpurgisnacht?"

"That's the one. Thanks."

"No problem."

I should write this down before I forget.

There are three Walpurgisnacht. The first appears once a year, every year during the Walpurgisnacht festival. This version is the Stage-constructing Witch that embodies the nature of helplessness. She is beyond the ability of average, and even exceptional, Puella Magi and Exorcists to fight. Of course, sheer numbers can render that a non-issue. But, if she is killed, she just comes back the next year. In a different area of the world that you won't know until exactly seven days before she appears. Also, the sign of Walpurgisnacht may not be noticeable on the single day it appears. Overall, this is the least dangerous incarnation of the Witch.

The second is a very different story. This version has no set date for when she appears, and may even be prevented from appearing at all. This Walpurgisnacht forms when the barriers of several Witches merge into a single barrier. Then the familiars of those Witches fuse into abominations worse than what they already are. Then, those fused familiars fuse into a single familiar that equals the Witches, but is not a Witch itself. Then, the Witches themselves begin to fuse into gestalt of themselves, taking traits of each Witch into the final form. Then the familiar fuses with the gestalt Witch and forms the new Walpurgisnacht. The barrier breaks and fluid fills the area, heralding her birth. The new Walpurgisnacht is almost always extremely dangerous, but the process is easily interrupted. If one Witch or Familiar type fail to fuse within the confines of the barrier, the entire process fails and everything is separated. Just get out of the barrier before that happens. Also, the Walpurgisnacht is rather easy to exorcise. The reason being that she is held together by effectively nothing at all. The only hard part is surviving that long.

Now, the third incarnation of Walpurgisnacht is something to be feared. I've only encountered her once, and she severely out-classes even Kriemhild Gretchen. This Witch, despite her incredible power, takes the form of a young woman. Fourteen years of age. I don't know why she attacked all those years ago, but she did. And killed one million plus Exorcists. Not a single Puella Magi was killed, showing that those Exorcists did their duty. It is believed by many Exorcists that the original Walpurgisnacht is the Saint Walpurga, hence the name. I don't believe this is the case, but I have no evidence to back up my theory. Regardless, she is very powerful, and seems to know me. Don't know why that is. She did help train me in fighting Witches, but I didn't know she was a Witch herself at the time. Anyway, I learned how to fight and how to use magic effectively from her. You could say I admire her. She even told me what everyone calls her. It wasn't until I took that name back to the Order did I learn she was a Witch, and the most powerful known to Puella Magi and Exorcists alike. I just want to-

"Alex."

"Yes?"

"Mami is about to fight a Witch. She is approaching the barrier with two other potential Puella Magi."

Game time. No more time for writing right now. I have to go perform my fated task. Until next time.

Alex Rockholt.

* * *

And that's a wrap! Tell me what you think of the concept and I'll try to have the next chapter up soon.


	2. Inferno

Hello and welcome to chapter 2 of Ethereal. This chapter borrows heavily from Dante's Inferno, and for good reason. The battles are skipped in part because I had no ideas for writing them, and also because this chapter leads directly to Sayaka making a wish. I also chose Inferno because it is very well known and is iconic for the development I want this story to have. A reminder that, although it will be lighter and softer, this story still has some darkness to it. Particularly in Labyrinths. Outside of Labyrinths will be mostly character development and Alex preparing for Walpurgisnacht. He still hasn't met Homura, and Homura done goofed her time travel. She will be important to the fight against Walpurgisnacht, but she won't be a major player until then.  
And in case you couldn't tell, Kyuubey will have the girls' best interest at heart. He will be good and a little less vague, more trustworthy. He will still lapse into cold, hard pragmatism, but he actively tries to help people.  
Enjoy the chapter!

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Inferno

"Kyuubey, I need you to tell me where the girls are!"

"They are at Mitakihara Middle School at the moment." Okay, Mitakihara Middle School. That's good. I can find the girls and learn where I was enrolled in school. Not bad. Of course, I have to get there before I lose them.

"Kyuubey, this barrier seems to be huge. Can you go on ahead and tell Mami that backup is on the way?"

"Of course. Also, be aware of the fact that there is another Puella Magi approaching, likely attracted by the sheer size of this particular Labyrinth."

"Joy. Is she contracted to you?"

"Indeed."

"Can I get a name?"

"Kyoko Sakura. That is her name."

"Which is the family name?"

"Sakura."

"Thank you. That is helpful. Anyway, try to get the two Puella Magi to work together if you can. Please."

"I will try. And I want you to dream on."

With that, Kyuubey ran off to find the two Puella Magi. Kyoko and Mami. I should probably call th by their family names and add on honorifics, shouldn't I? After all, when in Rome.

Did I mention he had "Dream On" by Aerosmith blasting as loud as his new I-Pod would go?

…Yeah, I got Kyuubey to love music. Especially Heavy Metal, even though you wouldn't know it. I know. I. AM. AWESOME!  
Where was I? Oh yeah, I'm closer to the barrier right now. I think I'll pop in, look around, do some scouting on what we are going up against, and then get the hell out.

Sounds like a plan.

GO!

Alright. The barrier seems rather tame...

Wait. Why is there a forest when I was in a city? Or is the barrier centered on a forest of some kind? That would make sense. Ok going with that for now.

No familiars yet…I don't know if that is good or not. Moving on.

A path that leads me to a giant door? Why does that-

My blood runs cold when I read what's on the door.

 _All hope abandon - Ye Who Enter Here._

This Labyrinth will take us to Hell…

Inferno…

This is gonna SUCK!

…Wait.

This is PERFECT!

I can set myself up as an ally by playing the part of Virgil. That would spare me the need to actively hunt them down in this Labyrinth. They will be following me, and I can help them in a fight. Oh, this is perfect for my goals.

All I need to do is coordinate with Kyuubey and know when to exit this place to greet them. Score!

…

Oh no. I'm acting fourteen again. Damn. Ah well, best get the practice in.

"Kyuubey, can you give me a status report?"

"Of course. I have managed to convince the Puella Magi to work together for this Witch. Do you need anything?"

"Yeah, I know the nature of this Witch. Tell me when the girls are about to enter the Labyrinth. I have a plan."

"Very well. Be safe, Alex."

"You to, Kyuubey."

Alright, let's do this.

"Alex, now would be a good time."

"Here goes nothing."

"Kyuubey, why are you telling us to work together? I can handle this Witch just fine!"

Kyoko Sakura. A powerful Puella Magi in her own right, but completely unwilling to work with others out of fear of them stealing the valuable Grief Seed. It took me considerable effort to get her to agree to this joint operation with her former friend and ally, Mami Tomoe.

Mami is as trusting as ever. Of course, I never truly lied directly. I may have omitted key information, but I never told her a straight lie. Perhaps that is why she trusts me as much as she does. That and the loss of her family. I was all that was there for her for a while.

"Kyuubey-san, why are we supposed to work together? I can protect Madoka and Sayuka perfectly fine by myself." Her soft, melodious voice hides steel. I must be careful.

"I have an agent inside the barrier right now. They tell me that they recognize the the of the Labyrinth, and have requested that I get you to work together for it. It is apparently that dangerous."

"And where is that informant?"

"In that room, ready to guide you on your way to the Witch. I have something to take care of right now, but I will be back soon. You shouldn't be too far along when I return." And with that, I turn and leave.

"Alex, now would be a good time."

"Here goes nothing."

I can't believe I agreed to work with HER! This Witch can't be any more dangerous than any other, regardless of what Kyuubey says! She even brought dead-weight with her, can you believe that! She brought two girls who are not Magical Girls with her into a Witch's Labyrinth! Does she want them to die?

Sigh...

Whatever. The sooner we meet with this agent of Kyuubey's, the sooner we can kill the Witch and I can leave. The less danger the two girls are in, the better.

What? I'm not completely heartless. I don't think they should be here.

It's true I have no real reason to protect them, but that's no reason to just let them die. They lack the ability to protect themselves, so I will instead.

"Is this the room Kyuubey-san told us his agent was in?" The pink-haired one said that. Kaname Madoka, why are you here?

There is blue light and mist coming from under this door. Undoubtedly, this is the one.

"Correct, Kaname-chan. It seems you are correct."

I open the door, and see a person. Their back is to me and they are wearing a cloak of some kind. Two hands grip a staff decorated with feathers. I can see bandages and a Sheppard's Hook. So, that is what Kyuubey meant by 'guide you on your way to the Witch.' Okay, I can work with that. Okay, play nice. We want him to like us.

"Excuse me! Are you the person Kyuubey sent for?"

 _"A guardian called."_

"What?" That voice is male. No doubt at all. So how did he leave the Labyrinth?

 _"I prayed for him to command me."_

"Kyuubey?" I whispered.

"Sakura-san, I think he's talking like this to warn us about the nature of the Witch."

 _"I fear my friends are in grave danger, he said."_

I see. Kyuubey is trying to protect us, assuming this guy isn't lying.

 _"I will guide you on your way through this Labyrinth." He looked the two helpless girls in the eye. "Do not fear for yourselves, Kaname Madoka and Miki Sayaka, for I shall not allow any harm to come to the two of you."_

So, we don't have to worry as much about them. That's a weight off my chest.

 _"Also, I will purify your Soul Gems, should you bring them to me. I cannot offer this service in the middle of a fight, unless I have time to form a barrier of my own."_

"So, just to ensure I understand. You will guide us, protect them, and purify our Soul Gems? Just want to be clear."

Is that a smile?

 _"It seems Kyuubey did not lead me astray. You are as intelligent as your beautiful, Sakura Kyoko."_

Is he...flirting with me?

"W-who are you?"

 _"Within this barrier, I am Virgil. Outside, I am known as Alex Rockholt. I come from Ohio, in the United States of America."_

"When did you meet Kyuubey?"

 _"I met him about a year ago, not long after my first encounter with a Witch."_

"What was the name of that Witch?" Tomoe, you finally decide to enter the conversation.

 _"Walpurgisnacht. The Stage-constructing Witch of Helplessness. I tried to fight her off, but I could only be swept away."_

Mind. Blown.

I've heard of that Witch, what Magical Girl hasn't? The strongest known Witch, bar none? And this guy survived to meet Kyuubey? Damn.

Wait. Are those..."Grief Seeds?"

 _"You have a sharp eye. Yes, I have Grief Seeds in my possession. I am an Exorcist, after all."_

"What are Exorcists?" That was Miki. Good question.

 _"Exorcists, like myself, are the ones chosen by Fate to protect the special girls who have the most cruel of destinies. We shelter them, guide them, die for them. We take their Grief and convert it into the power we use to protect them. We can even restore a shattered Soul Gem, at the cost of our lives. A price I would gladly pay."_

Well, that was...humbling. And more than a little confusing.

"Where were the Exorcists when we needed them most?" Tomoe...

 _"Tomoe Mami. I cannot do anything to help you with the past. I just know that I am Bonded to five Puella Magi. I only recently learned the name of one of my charges from Kyuubey."_ He approached her, placing his left hand on her shoulder. _"Her name...is Tomoe Mami."_

What.

This guy...is charged to protect her?

Why...Why her? Why does she get this special protector? Why not me?

"Correction. You now know two of your Bonded." Kyuubey?

"Tell me, Kyuubey. Did you wait for this exact moment in the conversation to interrupt?"

"You know me so well. Yes, I did."

"Would you kindly enlighten me as to whom my second Bonded Puella Magi is?"

"She's standing right in front of you." Who, me? I'm this guy's second charge? Don't I get a say in this?

"Very well. Sakura Kyoko. Raise your head. Do not despair, you have nothing to fear." He takes a breath.

"Abandon your fear. Look forward. Move forward and never stop. You will age if you pull back. You will die if you hesitate."

* * *

Quote Quincy Zangetsu. Check! I can't believe I forgot to put that on my checklist...

* * *

"Alex, I believe we should be on our way. Can you open the entrance?"

"Yes. Oh, and Kyuubey? We will be having words." Something tells me I don't want any part of that conversation.  
Virgil turns and raises his staff, keeping it perpendicular to the ground. Both hands grasp it around the middle and softly lower it again. Ripples, like the disturbed surface of a pond, emanate from the source. A gate slowly melts out of the wall. A door that depicts torment and pain almost beyond imagination. And on that door, an inscription.

 _Through me the way to the suffering city;_

 _Through me the everlasting pain;_

 _Through me the way that runs among the Lost._

 _Justice urged on my exalted Creator:_

 _Divine Power made me,_

 _The Supreme Wisdom and the Primal Love._

 _Nothing was made before me but eternal things_

 _And I endure eternally._

 _All Hope Abandon - Ye Who Enter Here_

That last line. I know that line...

 _"Shall we go?"_ Virgil walks into the gate, creating a blue path for us to follow on. That's rather thoughtful of him. Well, here goes...

The first thing I hear is the screaming. This place...what kind of cruelty can create such a place?

Darkness all around us. Screams, human screams, are all I can hear. Virgil-san has no problem walking through this place.

Is this why Kyuubey insisted me and Sakura-san team up? To face this nightmare? Does it ever end?

I try to keep my kohai as close to me as possible, never letting them out of my sight. This is my fault. Their nightmares, they will be my fault.

"I'm sorry; Madoka-chan, Sayaka-chan. I shouldn't have brought you here." I can feel the tears brimming in my eyes. Sakura-san readies her spear as we approach a cliff.

 _"Into the Blind World we have now descended. Put all fear and cowardice aside. We have come to the cliffs above Acheron. Wretched souls walk this tortured path to board Charon's Vessel."_

Sakura-san stands before him.

 _"I shall be your guide through this eternal place. You shall hear the shrieks and see the tormented spirits, who all bewail the coming of the second death."_

Oh no.

"Things only get worse from here."

The first encounter with familiars went fairly well. I think. They were fairly weak in fact. Almost too weak...

"Virgil, what can you tell me about those things?"

 _"They are known only as Minions, the souls of the Damned corrupted by the Witch's influence. They now serve her and no longer possess any form of intelligence_ _whatsoever. Kill them quickly to end their pain."_

"And the flying things? What are they?"

 _"Pests, for that are what they are. Easy to destroy, but can inflict serious injuries before they die. Finish them quickly, or they will swarm you in massive numbers."_

"Thank you."

 _"Sakura, come and be healed of your wounds. They will only hinder you. After all, we have yet to reach the First Circle."_

"Alright, but no funny business!"

My eyes track his hands as he closes his eyes and utters a short prayer. I blink and my pain is gone. My Soul Gem is radiant as well. This guy is the real deal! I look to Mami, to find that the same miracle has occurred for her as well.

Wait, when did I start calling her Mami in my thoughts? No, focus Kyoko! You have to listen to this guy!

 _"Shall we continue?"_

Almost as soon as he said that, another familiar appears before us. A blackened hulk of solid muscle and two long, curved horns. It draws a long, unusually broad shotel and roars at us.

Its breath is horrible.

No time to think, it just started a charge.

 _"Guardian Demons, the lowest of the Demonic Familiars. The Third Choir of Fallen Angels, they oversee the punishment of the Damned. Despite their prodigious strength and durability, they are fooled rather easily."_

Okay, knowing that makes this much easier.

"Tomoe! I'll distract it while you attack from range!"

She simply takes up her position, musket in hand.

The demon beings the shotel down, attempting to cleave me in half with a single stroke. I (stupidly, in hindsight) decide to block, only to learn that Virgil wasn't kidding about the extreme strength. A single bullet to the base of the neck attracts the beast's attention away from me. Bad move, bitch. One thrust through the chest is enough to...not kill it? How do these things die?

"Have you tries decapitation? I find that tends to work rather well." Thanks for the sarcasm Kyuubey. Wait. Kyuubey? Sarcasm? Is the world ending?

No! Focus on killing the Familiar!

Done! One decapitation and one dead Guardian Demon. What's next?

 _"You should be aware; there are two more Choirs of Fallen Angels. They are both stronger, faster, smarter, and tougher. Do NOT let your guard down!"_

Nothing else to do but to keep moving forward. "Come on, Tomoe! We got a Witch to kill!"

"Right!"

I must admit, these girls are good. They seem to be able to put their differences aside and fight together, should the need arise. Very good.

 _"All souls that die from every nation collect here as one. Charon's rough crossing awaits those who did not fear the Lord."_

"But what about these souls? So overcome by pain?"

 _"Such are the sorry souls who lived with neither infamy, nor praise. Heaven pushes them out and deep Hell does not receive them, no that the Wicked may not glory over them."_

"What makes their bitter lament?" Since when did I talk like that? Am I just getting into the act?

"Madoka? When did you talk like that?" See?

 _"Mercy and Justice disdain them. Let us not speak of them. Move on!"_

Well, that sounds like a command to me. And we obey without question.

A door with a don carved out of it bars the path. Sakura-san stabs it and forces it up.

Can I mention that this place is scary? Like, really scary? Because it is.

We get on a giant boat with a head growing out of it. Is this Charon's Vessel?

One fierce battle on the deck, a decapitated Charon, and a frantic scramble up a wall later, we find ourselves on a tower.

"How are you holding up, Sayaka-chan?"

To be honest, I would like to leave this place. Right now sounds like a good time to go.

Please?

Tomoe-sempai asks Virgil-san a question.

"What's next?"

 _"Beyond Limbo is the fallen King Minos, Judge of the Damned. But for those who remain in Limbo, the rest are sentenced to the Circles below."_

"And who remains in Limbo?" That was Sakura-san.

 _"Here suffer those who did not sin, yet did not have the required portal of our faith. Their punishment is the denial of Paradise."_

"Did a soul ever pass through here that was later saved?" Sakura-san, again.

 _"I once saw the Mighty One, crowned with victory, take from here the Shade of our First Parent, of his son Abel, of Abraham, and others. But before these, no soul was ever saved."_

We move into the tower and push Charon's STILL LIVING HEAD over the ledge, into the abyss below.

The next room is...

Oh sweet, merciful God. No. No, no. No,no,nonononononononononononononono.

NO!

* * *

For the first time, Virgil seems to be sad.

 _"The unblessed infants. Baptism they did not have. The one Gate to the true faith was never shown to these newborn souls. Limbo shows no mercy for these babes."_

"As of right now, what are you? Shade? Or living?"

 _"No, not living, though once I was. I lived in Rome, under Augustus, during the time of the false and lying Gods."_

"That was the time of the real Virgil, was it not?"

 _"Correct, Kyuubey. I am merely playing his role, using his name."_

We reenter the tower on a higher level than before. King Minos judges the shades, his voice easily audible.

 _"In this place reside pagan souls and honored names which resound in your life above. Though denied Paradise, they dwell distinguished from the manner of the rest."_

"So, this is where the real Virgil would be in the source of this Labyrinth?"

 _"Correct."_

"Who is honored here?" Madoka? Where do you get these excellent questions from?

 _"Hector, Caesar, King Latinus, Camilla...I cannot give full account. The telling would come short of fact."_

So next is...

King Minos.

It seems Virgil has little patience for the Judge of the Dead. He killed Minos. In one attack. Without seemingly any effort.

How powerful is he? And can he share any of it with me? I could use that kind of firepower.

Please?

 _"For the sake of convenience, I have taken us directly to the Third Circle. We shall skip Lust and move straight into Gluttony, where the Witch resides."_

"What about the other Circles?"

 _"Due to using the power of the Witches, I gave the ability to create a Labyrinth of my own. I will model it after Inferno, should you desire to attpt all of the Circles of Hell."_

"Is there anything about Lust that is notable? Anyone we might recognize?"

 _"In Lust is the once beautiful Helen, around whom so many years of war and suffering revolved."_

"And Achilles, who fought to the last with love, is he also here?"

 _"By the thousands has love parted so many shades from the world above."_

"I see. An answer in an apparent non-answer. You don't know the exact location of Achilles, do you?"

 _"No, no I do not."_

"What about Gluttony?"

 _"For the ruinous fault of gluttony are these sad souls broken by the rain and the mud."_

"What is that beast below?" Madoka, again? Are you on a script or something?

 _"Cerberus. The Great Worm. As a dog that craves barking, only to quiet when he snaps up his good, so are the foul faces of the don Cerberus, who thunders over these souls."_

Cerberus.

Cerberus?

CERBERUS?

WHY DID IT HAVE TO BE CERBERUS?

Why is Cerberus in a GIANT HUMAN TORSO!

 _"Just so you are aware, Cerberus is the Witch you are after. The craving Canine Witch Uhrmann, in her new form. I shall watch over Madoka and Sayaka while you two defeat her. I shall lend my aid where I can, but this is your battle to fight, to win, and to lose."_

Just wonderful.

Well, that was a bitch and a half for us, but we won in the end.

* * *

Impressive. They managed to overcome Cerberus without any aid from me. They truly are powerful. Of course, Mami is close to becoming a Witch, so I should go down there and heal them.

 _"Kyuubey, would you kindly take these two back to the real world? I will retrieve Kyoko and Mami after I purify them."_

"Let's go. We have places to be and not much time to get there. Carry on my wayward son..."

Once again, he decides to play music. In case you can't guess, it's "Carry on my Wayward Son" by Kansas. I know I said he likes Heavy Metal, and he does, but he likes to branch out into whatever there is on Youtube™ that interests him.

I don't know. I just accept it and move on.

Hm. According to Sakura-chan, I am too overpowered. I find myself not caring at the moment.

I'm not obsessed with always having a challenge when I fight. I don't want to have a fair fight.

After all; if you find yourself in a fair fight, your tactics suck. I don't see much fun in fighting. I just want to hurry up and go home. So if I have to back-stab, trick, or fight dirty to do so? I will. Don't worry about that. I'm not very honorable. I have to protect at least five different people simultaneously. I don't have the option most of the time. When it is me, the enemy, and the dark; I have every intention on winning.

Thank you, Candeloro.

* * *

Aaaaand cut! That's it for this chapter. Sayaka's wish should be fairly obvious having read this chapter. To be honest, I originally planned for Madoka to freak-out, but Sayaka deserved some extra development. Also she just seed to work better as I was writing. Some points will be revisited in later chapters, namely why Kyoko was so worried about Madoka and Sayaka. (WARNING: TSUNDERE ALERT!) Chapters will only get longer from here, if everything goes according to plan.

Until next chapter!

Went back and fixed some spelling errors that I missed the first time around. I'm going to look in all of my chapters for more, so please bear with me.


	3. Faith of the Heart

Here's chapter three. Mostly character development for Kyoko (and Alex) and a reveal of Alex at age nineteen. Many references will be made whenever he is nineteen to his appearance, there is a reason for this. A reason that becomes apparent if you know the average height of Japanese men. I realize I said at the beginning that this will be a side project, but it is so fun to write. Right now, I realize I'm mainly doing scenes, but that will change later, I promise. Please, bear with me.

SanDemonMax, thank you for your interest. I hope this chapter is to your liking.

* * *

Faith of the Heart

"Kyuubey, is this the room you want?"

"Yes. Don't worry; I plan on soundproofing it via magic." Well, at least I won't have to explain to the neighbors why they are suddenly deafened when Kyuubey decides to play an ear-buster. He seems to like it strongloud/strong.

"Now, Kyuubey, when did you plan on telling me about Kyoko?"

"When I confirmed that she actually is connected to you. Otherwise, I would have told you when you met her."

Calm down, Alex. Calm down. Kyuubey has a point. Kyoko wouldn't have been as important if she wasn't one of my Five.

Would I have protected her anyway? Of course. Aside from being my strongjob/strong. She seems like a fun person to be around.

"Alright, I'll accept that. I don't like it, but I have to anyway."

"Alex. Regardless of my attempts to act human, I am an alien. We perceive the world in very different ways. Remember that. Just like I have to remember that you are not an Incubator like me."

"Oh trust me, I remember. But sometimes, I think of you through the lens of my life. I have interacted most with humans, and sometimes I mistake you for a fellow human, only in a different shape. I'm sure you do the same in regards to humans."

Kyuubey gives me a nod. "You are correct. I do make that mistake with you at times. I'll admit that."

Someone knocks on the door. I should answer it. But first…"Kyuubey, can you return me to my actual chronological age?"

"Yes, but you won't be able to use magic. After this, you can age up and down at will, but only ages fourteen and nineteen. Okay?"

"One second." I need to enchant my pants into magic pants, able to grow and shrink with me as I age. Boxers as well. Alright, done.

"Ready."

Woah…That was a rush. Anyway, time to answer the door.

"How can I help you?"

* * *

Alright, Kyuubey said Alex lives in this area. Right over...there.

Knocking twice, I step back and wait. I don't wait very long for someone to answer.

"How can I help you?"

I look up, and up. The man is huge. Don't be intimidated, Kyoko. He's probably a relative or ally of Alex. Keep it together.

"Excuse me, does Alex Rockholt live here? Young, American teen?" Remember, he is American; they use given names before family names.

"He does. Please, come in." The giant stands aside and lets me into the house. He prepares tea and snacks while I notice Kyuubey.

"Kyuubey, how are you?"

"I am well, Kyoko. It seems you have questions for me. Go ahead and ask."

"Who is the big guy out there?"

"That, believe it or not, is one Alex Rockholt, returned temporarily to his actual age." My head whips back and my jaw drops.

That's Alex? "How old is he?"

"He turns twenty in November." So, nineteen? Damn.

"How did he get so damn tall?"

"He messed up a spell when he was practicing. It made him grow much taller than he should have grown at sixteen."

"How tall is he?"

"In feet, he is 7'5", or 229cm tall. He also around 290 pounds, or 131.5 kilograms."

For the record, I'm only 158cm tall. (About 5'2") It's okay though. I'm not _short_ , per se. He's just _freakishly tall_.

"Good afternoon, Kyoko-san. Is it alright if I call you that?"

"Feel free, at least when not in public. But only if I get to call you Alex."

He laughs; a deep, rumbling sound. "If I remember my lessons on Japanese culture, you seem to be one of two things. Really laid back and relaxed, or rather forward."

He waggles his eyebrows playfully and I slap his arm.

"Alex, you're supposed to be an adult. Act like one." Kyuubey, you have no room to talk...

"Alright. Shall we enjoy some Jasmine tea?"

"Thank you for the tea."

"Thank you."

We all take a drink. Not bad. Not bad at all.

"You seem calmer, Kyoko-chan."

"Is that sooo-what did you call me?!"

A simple smile. "You caught that, eh? Not bad, not bad at all. You don't mind, do you?"

My cheeks are heating up. Damn it! "No, I don't mind much. But only when you are younger or when we are in private."

"Alright." A comfortable silence descended.

"I you don't mind me asking, you seemed to be unusually worried about Kaname-san and Miki-san. According to Kyuubey, you are very pragmatic and would do almost anything to ensure a Grief Seed."

Kyoko places her cup down. "That's true. Old me would have done everything in my power to get the Grief Seed. If it was only Tomoe-san, I would have. But Kaname-san and Miki-san aren't Magical Girls. They were only following Tomoe-san. They couldn't have truly known about what was at stake. Also, I think Miki-san is traumatized as a result of the infants."

"She is, unfortunately. She came to me and wished that what she saw in Limbo could never happen. I told her that I couldn't grant that wish, mostly on account of the fact that it is impossible. Limbo, and Hell itself, does not exist."

"So she isn't a Puella Magi?"

"No. But she may make a wish that I can grant."

"I see. And we won't know if she is Bonded to me until then, correct?"

"Correct."

Kyoko seems confused.

"Bonded? You keep saying that word, but what does it mean"

"Bonding is the official term used to describe the connection between Exorcists and the Puella Magi they protect. There is a ceremony that makes it official, and binding for life. Are you following me so far?"

"Yeah."

"Good. Now, do you remember when I told you the responsibilities of Exorcists? Namely, the resurrection part?"

"What about it?"

"Until the ceremony is completed, I wouldn't be able to do it. So, if you died right now, I could literally do nothing on my own. However, the Bonding prevents my death so long as you are alive. Also, the Bond allows me to telepathically communicate with you. Mostly emotion, but I can communicate by sending thoughts directly to you. You can do this as well, but only to me. You couldn't send thoughts or emotions directly to Tomoe-san. Got that?"

"Yep."

"Smart girl. Last thing, it also allows me to know your general condition and if you are in danger. Which only makes sense. I have to protect you, and how can I do that unless I know you are in danger? Unlike the telepathic link, any of my Bonded Puella Magi can receive this distress call. It also gives me your location and how to get there fastest."

"Okay. So, the bond allows you to: share information, know if we are in danger, and revive us should we die. Also, if we are alive and you die, you revive. Did I get that right?"

This girl is intelligent. Maybe not smart in the traditional sense, but sharp.

"You got it. Intelligent, beautiful, and capable in a fight. What's not to love?"

Ah, she's turned bright red. She's so adorable. Now, time to tease her. Engage Clueless Mode!

"Are you sick? You're so very red. Did my tea do something to you?" I lay my hand on her forehead, partially blocking her view of my face. I get the reaction I expect.  
"N-not so close, damn it! I've got pride!" She all but launches herself backwards.

"Oh, trust me. I know." This is rather entertaining.

"W-what do you mean by that?"

"What? You don't plan on calling me a baka? I was hoping for the full tsundere treatment. Damn."

"TSUNDERE! I'LL SHOW YOU TSUNDERE!"

Tumbleweed, courtesy of Kyuubey, drifts by. My eyes meet Kyoko's.

Tumbleweed again, this one is unique. For one, it's _PEPTO-BISMOL PINK_. Two, it's flashing like a strobe light.

The serious mood is ruined. We burst into laughter.

* * *

"Alright. Now, I'm going to explain what would happen should you agree to perform the Bonding Ritual with me."

Pay attention, Kyoko. This is important.

"Alright, the simplistic version, ignoring the ritual setup, is simply me carving your name on my soul, currently represented by a pentagonal pyramid. Each triangular face will have a single name, while the pentagonal base has mine. Also, your Soul Gem will have my name on it. For example, if you wear it as a ring, my name will be directly opposite the stone."

Woah. That's...that's something else.

"First, why did you say your soul was currently represented by a pentagonal pyramid?"

"You learn that I'm going to carve your name on my **_soul_** , and you ask about the geometry of my soul?

"Have to start somewhere."

"True enough...Okay, my soul, when removed from my body, has to inhabit three-dimensional space. A pentagonal pyramid serves my purpose rather well."

"Why did you specify three-dimensional space?"

"Unlike your Soul Gem, which, when in its base form, is constantly an ovoid due to inhabiting three-dimensional space, my soul is an area of four-dimensional space. It contains tesseracts, glomes, pentachorons, hecadechorons, icositetrachorons, hecatonicosachorons, and a single hexacosichoron. These are the four-dimensional analogues of cubes, spheres, tetrahedrons, octahedrons, self-dual (meaning there is no clear analog), dodecahedrons, and six stronghundred/strong tetrahedrons. I could go on and explain what this means, but just know that I have a single piece that exists in two-dimensional space. A piece that happens to fold into a pentagonal pyramid in three-dimensional space. This area of two-dimensional space happens to be in the exact center of my soul, represented by the hexacosichoron, which is orbited by the other four-dimensional polytopes in order of decreasing cell number. So, the 120-cells, or hecatonicosachorons, are closest to the center. Aaaaaaaand I lost you, didn't I?"

"Alex, I have no idea what you just said, but I'll trust you and move on. Stop using big words, they make my head hurt.

"Yep."

"When, exactly, did I lose you?"

After 'four-dimensional space.' That's where you lost me."

"You know what; you don't need to know the geometry of my soul. Just know that it is 4-D. It's not that important anyway."

"Noted. For the record, why did you tell me?"

"Because you asked."

"Damn."

Moving on.

"Can we start the ritual, or am I overdressed?"

"We can start; just give me a second to set everything up. And leave your clothes on, but bring out your Soul Gem."

"Okay."

Having said that, Alex proceeds to...reverse age back into a fourteen year old. No flashes of light, blink-and-you'll-miss-it. Weird. Kinda cool.

Removing his shirt, showing a well-muscled-but not absurd-torso, he places his hands on his chest. His middle and ring fingers meet above the joining of the sternum and the collarbone, a pyramid seems to erupt from the space between his pinkies. It looks rather painful, but he shows no evidence that he feels anything.  
The triangular faces seem to be made out of ruby, sapphire, topaz, amethyst, and...pink glass?

"It's diamond. Red, blue, yellow, purple, and pink. Eventually, it will be decorated with rubies, sapphires, topaz, amethysts and pink pearls. The pentagonal base is green."

How did he read my mind?

"How did you read my mind?"

"I guessed."

"Is that so?"

The pyramid, free from his chest, turns slowly above his hands. He then proceeds to take a knee.

Take a knee...

Marriage? Is he proposing? Or is it his personal variation of the original ritual?

"Kyoko, I offer my will to your desires. I offer my life to your wishes. I offer my soul to your dreams. Forever after this moment, I shall never leave your side. After this moment, I shall protect you from anything that may threaten you. My emotions are yours to toy with; my mind is your domain. All I ask is that you share with me your love, your hopes, your future, so that I may help you."

As he said his speech, his soul stopped spinning, the red triangle facing me.

Speaking of the speech, how am I supposed to find anyone that would be so dedicated as to give me every part of them without truly asking for anything in return?! How can anyone top that!? Also, the Bond is permanent once enacted, so I guess it truly is a deeper form of marriage. Damn, only fifteen and already married! Well, it seems I've already agreed to this in my head. Only one way to do this.

"I do."

My Soul Gem rises out of my hand and approaches his soul. Letters start to appear on the face, etched clearly enough to be made out by me.

 _Kyoko Sakura._

* * *

Please don't tell me I heard what I think I just heard. Please don't tell me I heard what I think I just heard. Please.

Now that I think about it, the ritual does sound like marriage vows, doesn't it. Why. Why did the person who created this ritual have to make it sound like this?

 _"Because, originally, it was a set of marriage vows."_ Thanks, Kyuubey.

"Great. Now I've got a young woman, who happens to be four years younger than me, who thinks I've just married her. And the worst part? Technically, SHE'S NOT WRONG! This is not how this was supposed to go. At least, the marriage isn't recognized by anyone other than Kyuubey. That has to count for something, right? Right? Anyone?

 _"If you want, I could make it official. Should I put you as nineteen, or fourteen?"_

"You can't, it's illegal under Japanese law. I would have to be listed as being nineteen, but either way, Kyoko is one year too young. Now shut up.

 _"Damn."_

"Alright. No more distractions. Kyoko's name is now on my Soul Shard. Soul Shard, I like it. From now on, my pentagonal soul piece shall be known as a Soul Shard!

"Fuck, I got distracted again. Alright, now to inscribe my name on her Soul Gem.

 _Alex Rockholt_.

Done. Now to explain to Kyoko what just happened.

"Kyoko, you should know, the bond is _not_ marriage. It was in the beginning, but that was mostly as a cover for the actual ritual. We are not legally married. Got it?"

* * *

What. I've already mentally prepared myself for this! Wait, Kyoko, think about it. There are four more Magical Girls he will likely bond with. If most Exorcists have a single partner, it's a non-issue. An Exorcist with five partners? This is going to be a living hell for him, trying to balance all our time and attention. Some may say he's lucky, but he is truly anything but. We will have unrestricted access to his thoughts, emotions, hopes, dreams, and fears. Also, what if we hated each other? Who, exactly, does he side with? Also, if we all force him to love only us, what would happen to his mind? If he had to love me, and only me, what would happen if Tomoe forced him to love her, and only her? This must take some serious trust on his part. Well, as the most responsible, and first, Magical Girl bonded to him; I should do what

I can to help him.

Wow, I really have changed if I'm thinking like that. It's not a bad feeling.

Oh boy, he just fell unconscious.

"Kyuubey, can you help me?"

"Sure, follow me."

Kyuubey walks off, while I transform in order to easily lift Alex, who is _heavy_.

"This is his room." A plaque with the words _Ph'nglui mglw'nafh Cthulhu R'lyeh wgah'nagl fhtagn_ on it greets me.

"What does that say? And how on earth do you pronounce it?"

"Hmm? Oh, the plaque? It translates into 'In his house at R'lyeh, dead Cthulhu waits dreaming.' It's from H.P. Lovecraft's short story, 'The Call of Cthulhu.' It is pronounced with great difficulty."

Oh.

"Any particular reason he put that on his door?"

"He thinks it's cool. Now, put him on the bed."

Doing so, I cover him up and leave, closing the door behind me.

"Why is this house so large on the inside?"

"That's my fault. I knew he would have five potential Puella Magi and cheated to make this house able to hold them all, with an extra room for me."

"Why do you have a room here?"

"If you want to find out, follow me."

"One of the worst decisions of my rather short life was to do so. The reason? Kyuubey, somehow, managed to play an electric guitar, despite not having fingers. He then proceeded to play a song I can't recognize _**really loud**_. Something about being a dark messiah and a vengeful one. I think he managed to deafen me.

"You're different. When I last saw you, you were territorial, pragmatic, and rather bitter. What's changed?"

"Alex asked me the same question, you should know, you were there."

"I know that. But I don't think you actually answered the question."

"I don't know what's changed. I guess a year of only fighting Witches...I don't really know. I-I just don't know."

"He put a paw on my shoulder. "It's alright to not know. Alex seems to be so strong, right? Well, in reality, he's trying to be strong for you. He's very emotional, but can't show that side in public because society looks down on the concept of men showing emotions other than anger or determination. You will experience all of that when he awakens, and he will try to protect you."

"Kyuubey sits down across from me. "Enough about that for now. I should explain to you how your abilities and his differ. Magical Girls, or 'Puella Magi' to the Exorcists, have a theme that they follow. Mami has ribbons and uses them to form her guns, and you have your illusions and have branched out into enchantments for your spear and fighting ability. Your themes determine your abilities. This is not the case for Exorcists. They use visual themes to coordinate how they plan on fighting. Some are healers, others are melee fighters, others are spell casters, others are defensive, and others are all-rounders. They can change this at will, but can only have one 'theme' per Grief Seed. Usually, they pick a visual theme that works for them and improve their abilities, altering it as needed. They can master this single form due to having years of practice with it, and only it if they don't alter it significantly. Alex, having five Grief Seeds, is at an advantage and a disadvantage. He has more options to use, but has to be proficient with five different styles of combat, rather than being great with just one."

He jumps up and pulls down a chalkboard from the ceiling. A big one. "Alex has named his five 'themes', mostly for his own benefit when he's trying to improve them. The theme you've already seen him use, Dark Muse, is associated with the Grief Seed of the Witch Candeloro, the potential future Witch form of Tomoe Mami."

"WAIT JUST A GODDAMNED SECOND! WHAT DO YOU MEAN 'THE POTENTIAL FUTURE WITCH FORM OF TOMOE MAMI?!'"

"Two of Alex's Grief Seeds are from the future potential Witch forms of Tomoe Mami and yourself. I don't know yet which one is connected to you, but I know one is. This very unusual for Exorcists; in fact, with the lone exception of Alex, this has never happened."

"Is that why? Is future Witch me causing me to think differently?

"Anyway, as I was saying, Dark Muse is a specialized spell caster, as you've seen when he defeated Minos. All forms of magic are the domain of Dark Muse; Alex just needs to create the spell first."

I yawn, trying to hide it, but Kyuubey easily catches it. Little bastard.

"You are tired. Pick a room and get some sleep, or sleep next to Alex. Whatever the case may be, you have a day until school starts."

"School? W-what do you mean, school?"

"Yes. I took the liberty of enrolling you in Mitakihara Middle School as a ninth grader."

"I haven't been to school in years! How am I supposed to do well?"

"You do remember that Alex is nineteen and has an Associate's Degree in Biology, right?"

"He's a college graduate?"

"You didn't know? Perhaps it didn't come up in conversation, but yes, he is a college graduate. He took college courses in high school and quickly got his degree. And you can co-opt his experience."

"That is awesome. School will be easy."

"However, take a second to read his journal on Witches. Particularly the entry on Walpurgisnacht. It will be important in about a month. Tomorrow. Go to sleep. Now."

"Alright, alright, I will, just get off my back."

That's the last thing I remember saying before everything turns black.

* * *

"Time to have some fun. First, get Kyoko in...proper attire. They did just get married, after all. Even if only on a technicality, it still happened. Now, to get her in the same room as her husband.

"This will be worth a good laugh in the morning. I'm not feeling up for an evil laugh at the moment, though.

Maybe later.

 _Much_ later. I still need to finish messing with Kyoko, after all.

Turning to face the person on the other side of the computer/phone/tablet screen, I only have one thing left to do.

"Don't think I don't know where you live. After all, I am adorable. You are not safe from me. Good night."

"Time to go to sleep...but first, I need to get some wedding rings, a wedding dress, and a tuxedo. For the newly married couple to find.

Done.

* * *

And that's it for this chapter. Once again I would like to mention that this story is a lot of fun to write, even though the chapters aren't particularly long. I appologize for that, but right now, I'm mostly on character development and world building. Mostly the connection between two characters to flesh out their personality in this timeline.

I realize I said the chapters will only be getting longer, but this chapter's length in somewhat justified in that it is late at night when it ends. The next chapter will have the result of Kyuubey's prank. And yes, Kyoko is a romantic at heart in this story. It will prove to have...interesting consequences later. Also a little realism with the Bonding. Alex's life could easily become a living hell should the girls not get along. Remember, he has to protect all of them from emotional threats. What if those threats include each other?


	4. Scare Shadow

Alright, chapter four is here. A demonstration of the abilities of Exorcists that will become important later. Extremely important. Also, anyone who can translate what Oktavia says will have a good laugh. **ENJOY IT**. Things get gruesome. She will not always talk like that, she's just high off her ass. Enjoy!

* * *

Scare Shadow

Hm? Who's this next to me? The only person I know that would be in this house would be…Kyoko.

I'm gonna kill Kyuubey. Damn, this girl has a grip like iron.

I'll kill Kyuubey, just as soon as I'm free.

Wait…Is that a nightmare? Kyoko? Alright, here goes. Kreimhild Gretchen, I need your help.

 ** _I shall help you save her, no matter the cost, I shall show her mercy._**

Thank you.

 ** _No, I shall go._**

Ophelia?

 ** _And what qualifies you to enter Kyoko's mind, oh Witch of Abandonment?_**

 ** _How about the fact that Kyoko and I are one and the same? Does that qualify me?_**

O…k. That happened. Ladies? Ladies!

And they're still arguing. Oh boy…

 ** _Oktavia, what are you doing?_**

 ** _Mothing nuch. Just gilling my sputs for hall to ear. Dat are dou youing, whumbass?_**

Oktavia, can you speak normally for now?

 ** _Sho nit._**

You know what, screw you three.

 ** _NO!_** That was Ophelia.

I guess she has the best reason to come with me. Alright, here we go.

Hold on, Kyoko. I'm coming.

* * *

A church, my family's church. My father should be here soon.

Footsteps. Father? Is everything...okay?

"A witch. You're a witch. A monster. A demon." He laughs, but he doesn't seem to be happy. Daddy, you're scaring me...

Still laughing, he continues. "Enjoy her body while you can, I won't let you keep it for much longer! I've already denied you my wife and other daughter, so you have nowhere else to go should your little meatsuit die!"

"D-daddy? Why are you-"

"SHUT UP! You don't get to talk. All you get to do is watch. Watch as I end you. Watch as I break your little masquerade inTO PiEcEs!"

He ties me up and slaps me twice with his silver cross before placing it on my forehead.

"Our Father, which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy Name. Thy Kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, As it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. AnD fOrGivE uS ouR TreSpaSsEs, As wE foRGive tHem ThAt trEspAss aGaInsT Us. And lEad Us nOt inTo TemPtatiOn, BUt deLivEr us fRom eVil. For tHiNe is ThE KinGdOm, tHE pOWeR, aNd The gLorY, FoR eVEr aND EveR. ** _aMeN_**."

He rips my shirt off and punches me over the heart with the cross. It hurts. He won't stop...

"ARe yoU aLreaDy doNe? i'Ve goT so muCH moRe to ShOw YOu!"

He's still laughing, even as he yanks me up by my hair. Please daddy, stop it. I-I'll be a good girl! I promise! Stop hurting me! Daddy!

He drags me before the pulpit, revealing what he meant when he said he denied me his wife and other daughter.

I would scream, but he just forces my mouth shut. Why daddy? I only wanted to be a good girl...

Mommy was like the man on the cross. Her tummy had rips in it, large and red. Shiny. Wet ropes were hanging out of them, along with bags and a shell. The red paint covered the floor below her. More red paint was on her face and lips. Where is her tongue? Where are her eyes? She has a tie of some kind and a very wide smile.

"M-m-m-m-mommy? Mom, wake up. Please wake up. Daddy's scaring me! PLEASE WAKE UP!"

Daddy slapped me again. Dragging me to face him, he smiled broadly. There was no happiness, no love, no kindness. There were only teeth.

"sHe aiN't waKiNg uP. So dOn't boTheR aSkiNg Her tO!" He drags me to...Momo.

She's crying, begging for daddy to stop. He doesn't. He reveals, slowly, ever so slowly, a knife he had in his hand, jagged, chipped, rusted. He raises it.

"WiTh thIs, i wiLl sAvE whAt reMaiNs oF My faMiLY! MaY tHe gOod lOrD hAVe meRcY oN yOU!" The blade came down. I'm sorry, Momo.

The sound of flesh hitting flesh.

"Fuck. That."

Did someone come? I raise my head. An unfamiliar person has their back to me, Daddy's wrist in his hand. A tattered red cloak, a pauldron and sleeve on his left shoulder and arm, a high collared sleeveless black shirt, black pants and boots. He also has an enormous single-edged broadsword, about two meters in length, with two raised holes.

"Alex?"

* * *

"I'm sorry I took so long. But you no longer need to fear this. Not so long as I exist. You didn't create me. I came to you."

" **a** _R_ e _y_ o **U** h ** _E_** r _E_ t **O** **p** t _O_ t **E** ct **h** _eR **? A**r_ **E** _y_ O **u** a **m** _O_ n **s _t_** _e_ R **a** _s_ **w _E_** l _L_?"

I have had enough. I run him through. "Kyoko, get your sister and call for Kyuubey."

"R-right!" She does so, as I twist a blade that is one foot wide in the crazed priest's chest. Is it wrong that I find this therapeutic? "Kyuubey!"

"Yes? Oh dear, this is horrifying. Not what I expected the morning after to be like. Of course, I have an idea why this occurred."

"Later, Kyuubey. Can you get Kyoko and her sister out of here?"

"I can, but I'll have to make a new body for Momo. I will discuss this with Kyoko after we return to the land of the living."

The priest doesn't like that, but he can do nothing but watch as Kyoko and Momo leave. It also seems to take what's left of his mind away from him.

" ** _? #$ !#$ %$!%$ %$^%$^ & ! #$ # *(&&^$&(44$% #%$ 34% #$% %^$ 2$ !$"_**

I have no idea what the hell that's supposed to be. Don't particularly care, either. The enhancements of Soldier of Peace flow within me, even if it's less than ten percent of what I'm used to getting.

The dude manages to extricate himself from my blade and...falls helplessly to the ground as the only thing supporting him was removed. Of course, we're fighting in **my** mind, not Kyoko's anymore.

What the hell!? How is he getting back up?

 ** _Kyoko fears her father above all other things. Thus, he can perform impossible feats, given his origin as a nightmare of Kyoko._**

Thanks Ophelia. Mind helping me in this fight?

A horse approaches me from behind. What seems to be a match with arms and legs, wearing a kimono, sits astride the unusual checkerboard animal. Said match is also lit. A spear is in her left hand, and she approaches me slowly.

"Ophelia."

She doesn't answer.

The priest rips the _corpus_ of the crucifix, rendering it an ordinary Latin cross. He then inverts it, forming a Cross of Saint Peter. He then, somehow, fuses with the Cross and...wow. That looks completely unthreatening, if disgusting. A Cross of Saint Peter...formed from viscera. Ophelia just lights it on fire.

"If that killed it, that was extremely anticlimactic."

 ** _Perhaps he was more a psychological threat than a physical. You should know how effective psychological attacks can be._**

Maybe that was it.

I would like to take a moment to recognize the fact that it smells horrible in this church.

"Let's get out of here. I'm worried about Kyoko...and I still need to kill Kyuubey."

* * *

"Sayaka Miki, Kyoko Sakura and her deceased younger sister are in need of your assistance. There is an opportunity to revive her, but a wish is required. Please, allow me to take you to where they both are."

"Okay." There is no flash of light or sound that says I just teleported. I just go from where I was to where I am now. Sakura-san greets me when we arrive. She doesn't seem upset or excited. If anything, she seems...hopeful. Hopeful that I will grant her wish.

"Kyuubey, I wish-"

"Hold on. Before you finish that sentence, I want you to take a moment to decide if the fate of a Puella Magi is worth it, at least to you. If you are one of mine, I can protect you, but if you're not, I am limited in my ability. Just think about it. That's all I ask. If you decide that you can't do it, I'm sure Kyoko-chan will understand." Rockholt-san? Why are you here? And why are you only wearing pants? And why did you call Sakura-san 'Kyoko- **chan**?'

"Kyuubey, I wish that Sakura Momo could live again."

"That's a wish I can grant. Alex, come with me. You girls stay here."

The pair leave the living room to go upstairs. I can't think of anything to say to Sakura-san, so I stay silent.

"Thank you. Thank you so much." Hm? Sakura-san?

"You're welcome."

"Alex was right though. You should have given this more thought then you did. You may end up regretting this."

"I don't think I will." Alex came back downstairs.

"Kyoko, I have someone who wants to say hi."

Sakura-san shot up and tried to rush upstairs, but her legs nearly gave out on her. Luckily, Rockholt-san was there to catch her. She seems rather comfortable...

I go upstairs after them and see something heartwarming. Sakura-san and her little sister, reunited at last. Tears were flowing from everyone's eyes, including Kyuubey. Rockholt-san was watching the sunrise, his tears clearly visible. I look at my Soul Gem, light blue in the morning light.

"This truly is a wonderful world."

* * *

That's it for this chapter. To be completely honest, it was completely unplanned, but I just started typing and this little scene came out. Kyoko has some serious trauma in her past that she repressed, but now it's coming to the surface due to the Bond. And yes, in this story, the deaths of the Sakura family went exactly as I wrote it until the moment Alex interupted it. I don't think I could finish what actually happened. And yes, Momo is now alive. The reason will be explained next chapter. For now, accept it as a way to blunt the impact this chapter may have.

The worst part? I wrote this to the tune of "Love Me Like You Do" by _Ellie Golding_. This chapter sounds even worse when you read while listening to that song. But yeah, I think it ended on a happy note and Sayaka is now a Puella Magi. Progress has been made.

Goodnight, everybody. Sweet dreams!


	5. Entropy

Chapter five is here. There is a lot of information of thermodynamics that I don't remember being in the anime. I could be wrong, but I don't remember it regardless. Also, on the subject of thermodynamics, i am a Biology major, not a Physics or Engineering major. I could be wrong on these points, but I try not to be. If I am mistaken, tell me where I am mistaken and how to fix it. Thank you, and enjoy the chapter.

* * *

Rockholt-san excused himself, claiming that he has things he needs to do and left us to our own devices. Kyuubey elected to stay with Sakura-san, her sister, and I.

"Kyuubey, why do you follow Alex around instead of searching for potential Magical Girls? Isn't that how you harvest energy, which is why you're here?"

"An excellent question, Kyoko. The reason I follow Alex around is because of these."

He shows us to a sealed room and lets us in. In the center of the room is a depression, filled with black and silver Soul Gems.

"Before you ask, they are not Soul Gems. Alex produces them when he can no longer contain the Grief he has absorbed. They cannot form a Witch, as there is no soul or will. Each one is worth slightly more energy than the amount I harvested from you when you made your wish, Sayaka. He also produces one a night, on average."

He went to the kitchen and jumped up on the counter, looking us in the eyes. "I stay with Alex because he is too valuable a resource to waste. My orders are to stay with him, even though I should have moved to another planet by now."

"What do you mean?"

"All Incubators are attempting to prevent the premature end of the universe, and particularly the Milky Way Galaxy, via entropy."

"Entropy?"

* * *

"Entropy is a thermodynamic property representing the unavailability of a system's thermal energy for the conversion into mechanical work, often interpreted as the degree of randomness in the system."

He made a point to "clear his throat." Given that he was making a point of properly synching his mouth and lip movement to his telepathy, he can be excused for it.

"Understand that the phrase 'entropy of the universe' has no real meaning because it admits to no accurate definition."

"How?" Kyuubey took a deep breath.

"Keep in mind that when I tell you this, I have done research on human physicists and their understanding of thermodynamics. I will impart this information to you so you can later verify it on your own time.

"A thermodynamic system is the content of a macroscopic volume in space, along with its walls and surroundings; it undergoes thermodynamic processes according to the principles of thermodynamics. A physical system qualifies as a thermodynamic system only if it can be adequately described by thermodynamic variables such as temperature, entropy, internal energy and pressure.

"The system is delimited by walls or boundaries, either actual or notional, across which conserved (such as matter and energy) or unconserved (such as entropy) quantities can pass into and out of the system. The space outside the thermodynamic system is known as the surroundings, a reservoir, or the environment. The properties of the walls determine what transfers can occur. A wall that allows transfer of a quantity is said to be permeable to it, and a thermodynamic system is classified by the permeability of its several walls. A transfer between system and surroundings can arise by contact, such as conduction of heat, or by long-range forces such as an electric field in the surroundings.

"A system with walls that prevent all transfers is said to be isolated. This is an idealized conception, because in practice some transfer is always possible, for example by gravitational forces. It is an axiom of thermodynamics that an isolated system eventually reaches internal thermodynamic equilibrium, when its state no longer changes with time.

"According to the permeability of its walls, a system that is not isolated can be in thermodynamic equilibrium with its surroundings, may be in a state that is constant or precisely cyclically changing in time - a steady state that is far from equilibrium. Classical thermodynamics considers only states of thermodynamic systems in equilibrium that are either constant or precisely cycling in time.

"The walls of a closed system allow transfer of energy as heat and as work, but not of matter, between it and its surroundings. The walls of an open system allow transfer both of matter and of energy. This scheme of definition of terms is not uniformly used, though it is convenient for some purposes. In particular, some writers use 'closed system' where 'isolated system' is used here.

"In 1824 Sadi Carnot described a thermodynamic system as the working substance (such as the volume of steam) of any heat engine under study. The very existence of such thermodynamic systems may be considered a fundamental postulate of equilibrium thermodynamics, though it is not listed as a numbered law. According to Bailyn, the commonly rehearsed statement of the zeroth law of thermodynamics is a consequence of this fundamental postulate.

"In equilibrium thermodynamics the state variables do not include fluxes because in a state of thermodynamic equilibrium all fluxes have zero values by definition. Equilibrium thermodynamic processes may of course involve fluxes but these must have ceased by the time a thermodynamic process or operation is complete bringing a system to its eventual thermodynamic state. Non-equilibrium thermodynamics allows its state variables to include non-zero fluxes that describe transfers of matter or energy or entropy between a system and its surroundings.

"The universe, having no defined boundaries, is not a thermodynamic system according to the definition of the term. After all, how far in any direction can you go before you are considered to be outside of the universe?"

"Kyuubey, you should look into politics. You have the undeniable talent for the profession."

"I will look into it. But first, do you now understand why I stay with Alex?"

"Other than the explanation of thermodynamics, I do. While we're talking about him, what is Alex doing?"

"Most likely he's searching for Tomoe Mami to perform the Bonding Ritual with her."

"Bonding ritual?" Right, Sayaka-san doesn't know about the Bonding ritual.

"Sayaka-san, the Bonding ritual is performed by Exorcists to psychically link with the Magical Girl he protects. It was originally a marriage ritual as well, and still carries the connotations."

"Marriage? He can get married? At his age? He's too young! And to go after Tomoe-sempai...What kind of person is he!?" Calm down, Sayaka-san. Calm down.

"Calm down, Sayaka-san, calm down. He is honorable; don't worry about Tomoe-san. She can take care of herself. Also, just so you know, he's chronologically nineteen. He's technically legal."

"HE'S NINETEEN?" Why don't you shout a little louder, Sayaka-san? I think someone in Vegas didn't hear you.

"Yes, he's nineteen."

"Kyoko, you are aware that you could have easily learned exactly what Alex is doing or thinking via your bond with him, right?"

I feel like an idiot...

"You forgot you could do that, didn't you?" I could almost HEAR the mocking smile in his voice. Damn that cat thing.

"Yeah...Heh heh."

Sayaka rounded on me as soon as she processed what she had just heard. "YOU MARRIED HIM? AND HE'S ALREADY GOING AFTER TOMOE-SEMPAI!?" Why is she overreacting?

"I didn't marry him. We aren't legal at our current ages anyway, even if Alex can return to being nineteen whenever he wants."

"Enough of this. Kyoko, take Sayaka and find Alex. I have to absorb the eggs he left for me. Have fun. Don't worry; I'll take care of Momo."

"Take care of yourself, Kyuubey."

"You to."

* * *

"Are you alright, Rockholt-san?" Hmm? It seems I managed to remain conscious after Bonding with Tomoe-chan. Must be because of my experience with Kyoko. I'll take it.

"I'm fine. Don't worry about me too much. I can handle myself." A smile never hurts when trying to reassure someone. "Besides, it's you I worried about. You and Kyoko."

"The Bonding, right? You performed it with her first." That wasn't a question.

"Yep. She came to me and I thought, why not? So I performed the ritual with her and then I fell unconscious and Kyuubey, the little bastard, decided to prank us."

 _Kyoko's on her way with Sayaka._

"She is?" Yes! It worked! Telepathy has been utilized actively for the first time with two Puella Magi bonded!

I feel accomplished. Good thing I didn't send any of that through the telepathic link, even if the empathic link is still open for her to receive my accomplished feeling.

"Wait, is that Kaname-san?" I see a head of pink hair in pigtails held by red ribbons walking towards us.

"It seems she is Kaname-san."

 ** _That is not Madoka Kaname._**

Kriemhild, are you sure?

 ** _Yes. If you wish, I will form a barrier right now, where we can force this thing to reveal its true face._**

Go ahead. Do it.

 ** _Done._**

The barrier goes up. The interior is rather plain. Of course, this is not a Labyrinth for hiding a Witch, but for fighting uninterrupted. The fact that it serves as a beacon for any and all Puella Magi in the area is just icing on the metaphorical cake. Now Kyoko and Sayaka know where we are.

"So, Madoka Kaname, or whatever the hell you are, are you going to answer some questions for me?"

The thing wearing the form of Madoka looks up, a broad smile on her face. "Only if you answer one for me!"

"Rockholt-san, what's going on?"

 _This isn't Madoka Kaname. It's something either wearing her face or possessing her. Get ready for a fight._

She goes through her whole transformation sequence. You know, why do Puella Magi, and Magical Girls in general, feel the need to go through that whole sequence? Is it for fanservice?

Let's start with Ambivalence.

An extremely loud and bright flashbang later, I spread my wings and take to the sky. Normally I would attack, but I need to verify that this is Madoka's body or not. I'd rather not damage that.

"Tell me, is that Madoka's body, or are you just imitating her form?"

The thing smiled, "It's her body, not doubt about that. What are you going to do about it?" What the hell? Why do I suddenly feel weaker?

 ** _This. This is what I'll do._** That explains it.

Kriemhild Gretchen has entered the fray. Her massive form shadows everything around her.

"And you are?" Is the thing...mocking Kriemhild? It's not that stupid. Is it?

 ** _I am the Merciful Witch of Salvation, Kriemhild Gretchen. And I will remove your parasitic grasp on the one I cherish above all others with EXTREME PREJUDICE!_**

I don't know why, but I think an asskicking is on the menu. When will a true fight be had? When will our transformations ever not be pointless?

I have no idea. Oh well, I'm not complaining. All I have to do is sit back and watch the carnage. That and collect Madoka's body when Kriemhild does my job.

I can live with that.

"I'm going to go out on a limb here and say that Madoka is Kriemhild's original form."

"Original form?" Mami is afraid of Kriemhild? Oh, right. Kriemhild's a Witch and Mami hates Witches with a passion. She also doesn't know the fate of Puella Magi. Best I tell her and deal with the consequences now, as opposed to letting her find out on her own and possibly go mad from the revelation. At least, if she does now, I can fight her off and then comfort her. If I don't, Candeloro says she will try to prevent Puella Magi from becoming Witches at any cost. I can't have that...

"Mami. The fate of Puella Magi who fall into despair and fail to cleanse their Soul Gems of Grief is to become a Witch. Exorcists emerged as a way to prevent that decent from ever occurring. We serve as an infinite receptacle for Grief, allowing us to use our abilities. And before you start worrying about me, I won't become a Witch. I already have a way to deal with excess Grief."

She doesn't respond to me. Not that I can blame her, considering her entire worldview has been shattered.

"Did Kyuubey know?" Oh crap. She had to ask that question.

"Yes, he knew. However, please remember that-in his view-the affliction is an unfortunate side-effect of the contract. The Incubators are attempting to prevent the premature death of everyone and everything in the Milky Way Galaxy due to their own mistakes. They will attempt to make things easier for those under contract, but they have to weigh one person against the rest of the galaxy. The one person inevitably loses."

"What mistake?" I can't answer that right now; Kriemhild has just freed Madoka and is tearing the thing a new asshole.

"One second. Gotta save Madoka first." I do exactly that. Good thing my wings aren't constrained by the laws of physics and biology, or I'd never be able to fly.

"Ok, I'm back. What was the question?"

"What mistake did the Incubators that is so terrible?" Was that...sarcasm? Or just bitterness.

"The literal translation from their language to English-same translation in Japanese, by the way-is 'Crisis Core.' What they did was accidently convert the Milky Way from an open thermodynamic system into an isolated one. The second law of thermodynamics comes into play as the amount of energy unavailable for any kind of work-including the processes of life-can only increase in this system as there is no way to shed the entropy naturally, like a closed system would. The eventual end result is the heat death of the Milky Way. The energy harvested from Puella Magi contracts and Exorcists is used to increase the enthalpy of the system by increasing the Gibbs free energy. Since the energy harvested is not bound by thermodynamics in its base form, but can be converted into energy that is along the law of conservation of energy. Despite the fact that it also breaks this law the moment it is created."

"Umm, excuse me, but is now the time to discuss this?" Hmm? Madoka's awake?

I sort of hate the fact that she's right. Damn it...

"You're right Madoka," her face turns bright red, "this isn't the time to discuss this. As soon as Kriemhild is done, and we get you back home, I'll finish this." I look up at said Witch. "Find a seat and get comfortable, this could take a while."

"Alex!"

"Hello, Kyoko-chan, Sayaka-san."

"What did I tell you about calling me that?"

"Well, we are-technically- not in public. So I can call you that."

"Rockholt-san..." Oh boy...This could get ugly.

"Can I help you, Sayaka-san?" Her hand went back and then forward.

...

She slapped me. She fucking slapped me. What did I do?

"You, technically, married me and then went after another woman the next day. That's what you did."

"I'm sure you explained that the Bonding was NOT marriage. You did, right?"

"Yeah. Women can be like that at times." Interesting. You know, _I didn't know that_.

Please, note the sarcasm.

"How long will this take?"

"Depends on how sadistic Kriemhild is feeling today."

"Then, should we finish the conversation on what the Incubators did?"

"Madoka, is this a proper time to finish?"

She sighs. "Fine..."

"Okay, where was I? Breaks the law? Sounds right. We'll start from there. Sayaka-san, I'm sure Kyoko-chan will fill you in. The Incubators have managed to increase the permeability of the boundaries surrounding the galaxy so that energy can get in and out, but not enough for the entropy of the galaxy to self-regulate. They just need more time and energy to do that. Once that happens, expect the Incubators to be much more helpful when contracting Puella Magi."

"Why do you keep calling us Puella Magi and not Magical Girls?"

"Think about what you just said. Would anyone take me seriously if I called you Magical Girls? Puella Magi sounds different enough that it can be excused as a foreign language by many who hear it. The Incubators have their own name for you. The Advent Children."

"Why don't you use that?"

"We do, whenever the phrase 'Puella Magi' doesn't apply. Puella Magi refers exclusively to female humans who have accepted the contract. Advent Children refers to all beings that have accepted the contract. Make sense?"

"To me it does."

"Does that mean that Exorcists are Advent Children?" Good question, Madoka.

"By proxy, we are. We don't contract directly with Incubators, but the Witches we use for our powers did. As far as Kyuubey is concerned, we are, even though we really aren't. Kyuubey refers to Puella Magi as Puella Magi instead of Advent Children for the same reason Exorcists do."

"I think Kriemhild's done."

"That was quick." My head jerks violently to the side. Sayaka slapped me again...What did I do this time?

"You were ignoring me, Rockholt-san."

"What do you need?"

"I need to keep an eye on you. According to Kyuubey, the Bond can do just that."

...

...

...Wow. That was the last thing I expected.

"Aren't you interested in anyone that isn't me?"

"I am, but apparently you can prevent me from becoming a Witch and allow me to use magic without consequence. It's only smart for me to Bond with you." She then looks down. "I don't think Kamijo-kun really sees me as potential girlfriend material anyway." Oh...So I'm the rebound for a relationship that never took off? Wonderful. The best part is that this is the best opportunity to Bond with this girl. Gotta make sure she's up for it first.

"Sayaka, are you sure this is what you want? Remember, the Bond is permanent once forged. There is not going back once the ritual starts, unless you want to run the risk of going insane and driving myself, Kyoko, and Mami insane with you. Do you understand that?"

"Yes, and I still want to take the Bond with you." Something tells me there is another player at work. It shouldn't be this easy to convince a girl to give up her mental security to a boy she's known for less than a day, but I've done it three times already...Granted, the risk to me is huge, but still...It shouldn't be this easy...

Wait, rewind a little. What did Sayaka say her reason was? 'Prevent me from becoming a Witch and allow me to use magic without consequence.' She's afraid. Kyoko told her the fate of Puella Magi should they overuse magic. She wants that comfort. Kyoko learned from my knowledge and informed her. Kyoko agreed due to the protection and the fact that it releases her from her dependence on Grief Seeds. She was afraid as well. Mami was lonely and used it as an opportunity to always have someone be there for her, as well as reconnect with her former best friend. Knowing that, Madoka, if she ever accepts the contract, will likely decide to Bond with me for similar reasons. Okay, I can deal with that. I don't need to be Freud to know these girls need to see psychologists. Maybe a group psychology session is in order.

Of course, I could be completely wrong about all of this, so don't quote me. I reserve the right to be wrong.

"Fine. I'll Bond with you. If you need a reason, it's to get Oktavia to shut up. She hasn't stopped screaming at me since she sobered up." And that's the truth. I'm just really good at hiding it.

* * *

One Bonding later, I am barely conscious. A nap sounds like a good idea right about now.

"You can't go to sleep yet, Alex." Somehow, they manage to wake my ass up. Turns out that I'm physically fine. It's my mind that's exhausted. How they manage to reverse that, I don't know. I like it.

My wings are gone...

Wait...Did I actually fall asleep, and they just woke me up? The reason why I'm asking this question?

Madoka is a Puella Magi. When the hell did this happen?

"Kyuubey, did you make a contract with Madoka?"

 _"No, why?"_

"Because she's a Puella Magi now."

 _"Say that again? I think I heard you say that Madoka is a Puella Magi."_

"I did."

 _"Did Kriemhild do it? She is rather powerful, after all."_

"I don't know. Maybe? She isn't telling if she did."

 _"Regardless, I will still offer her the contract. Please, inform her of this."_

"Will do." I raise my head. "Madoka-san! Kyuubey says you can still make a wish to him, and he'll grant it."

"Really?" She's gonna be a handful. I can literally _feel_ her happiness. Feel her happiness...

"Madoka, how the hell did you Bond with me? Especially without my consent? How long was I out? And when did we get back to my place?"

"In order: as soon as she transformed for the first time, without difficulty, three hours, and two and a half hours ago." Thanks, Sayaka.

"Where's Kyuubey?"

"Likely searching for someone to make a contract with. He left soon after we arrived."

"Maybe he was happy to be free of Momo?"

"Maybe."

So, Madoka, Kyoko, Sayaka, and Mami are Bonded to me. All four are Puella Magi, one uncontracted. Okay, I can deal with that. Kriemhild Gretchen never was one to obey the rules. Kyuubey is out doing who knows what and something is going around possessing girls. Fantastic. Can this get any worse?

...

...Shit, I had to think that, didn't I? My head once again violently snaps to the side.

Someone in a miniskirt just kicked me in the face! WHAT THE HELL DID I DO THIS TIME!?

Let's see, what am I up against? Obviously a Puella Magi, black hair, blue eyes, tiny shield with what looks like an hourglass. Okay, likely has powers over time. Why did she attack me? Likely for my Grief Seeds. Or to take out the competition for the Grief Seeds.

Focus, Alex. You don't know what she can do, other than take out three Puella Magi and an Exorcist in a surprise attack. Time to go defensive. One flashbang later, the massive shield of Quiet Guardian is on my arm. I really need to shrink this thing...It's too big for me right now! Oh well, I can still use it and the magic still works. It'll have to do.

"Hello, unknown person who likes kicking people in a miniskirt. How would you like to have your ass kicked?"

She stops what she's doing. "Who are you? Why are things so different?"

The girls are all unconscious, not that they can be blamed. Ambushes are difficult to counter, after all.

"So I was right, you are a time traveler." She stood ramrod straight when I said that. I actually guessed, and made an obvious statement. I am also a time traveler, just like everybody else. I move forward in time at a rate of one second-per-second. Technically time travel, but not the way science fiction portrays it.

"So, what are you here for?" Remember to be polite with the girl that can kick your ass in literally no time at all. "And would you like some tea?"

"Please."

* * *

This guy is weird. He takes my kick, summons a huge shield, guesses the nature of my abilities, and then offers me tea. While maintaining the shield. He makes sure the Madoka and the others are comfortable, taking them to separate rooms in this house. Who is this guy?

"Alright, introductions first. My name is Alex Rockholt, Exorcist and good friend of Kyuubey." Kyuubey? What does that little rat have to do with this? Is he why I've already failed at preventing Madoka's contract?

"Homura Akemi."

"You don't speak much, do you?"

"No."

"Alright. I don't know why you attacked me and the others, but I'm going to guess it was for Madoka. You attacked everyone else, but she was unharmed. If I have to guess, along with your anger at hearing Kyuubey's name, she has something to do with the wish that made you a Puella Magi."

"You are very observant."

"That and I have someone feeding me the information. No, it's not Kyuubey."

"Who?"

"A Witch named Homulilly. The-"

"Self-sufficient Nutcracker Witch."

"Yes. You are taking this surprisingly well."

"I know. It's been over a thousand cycles since I started this quest. I'm not surprised by much of anything anymore."

"I see. Tell me, do you know what Exorcists are?"

"People who can banish demons that have possessed people and places."

"Wrong Exorcist. We serve as guardians of Puella Magi, preventing their decent into Witches and their deaths. We do the second via a process known as Bonding. I have bonded with Sayaka, Mami, Kyoko, and Madoka."

"When did Madoka make her wish?"

"Well, since you asked so nicely, I'll tell you. She didn't. I think, haven't confirmed, that Kriemhild Gretchen triggered her transformation. She is an uncontracted Puella Magi as of right now, but she has the option of making a wish and contracting regardless." What.

"I won't let her. I have to prevent her from becoming a Witch. I have to save her."

He stands up and sits next to me, handing me a fresh cup of tea. "There is nothing wrong with that. You want to save her, no matter the personal cost. Let me do that. She doesn't need a guardian that watches her from the shadows, what she needs is someone to talk to. Maybe, by sharing what you know about the future with her and her allies, a happy ending can be achieved."

"Do you really believe that?"

"Yes, I do. Now tell me, have you ever tried? I managed to get Kyuubey to act more human and be more helpful to Puella Magi just by trying to connect with him in the language we both share. Cold, hard logic. I then got him to use the emotions he once disdained, because they will only help him with his responsibilities. Is it foolish to hope? Maybe, but if you never do, why are you still alive?" The shield went away.

"School starts tomorrow. I will take your words into consideration."

"One last thing. The bond I have with Madoka allows me and everyone I'm bonded with to know if she is in danger. It may help you." Can I really pass that up? Knowing when Madoka is in danger and having an ally that would protect her with his life?

"Very well." Perhaps, this time, things will be different...

"DAAAAAAYUUUUUUM Alex! That's five in less than twenty-four hours! Your first twenty-four hours in Japan, as a matter of fact! I'm sure that this fells a bit rushed to anyone who's reading this story!"

* * *

Homura and I just started to have a moment too...

The giant shield proceeded to flatten the drunken Incubator. Funny story, Kyuubey doesn't lose any motor functions when drunk. What he does lose is common sense and self-preservation. Along with gaining a pronounced sense of humor...

"We were having a moment, Kyuubey. You just killed it."

"Sorry."

"Well we can still have our moment, just...in a different way." A Labyrinth is formed and I reveal that I am (illegally) packing heat. So is Homura.

"Dance, Kyuubey!" We open fire with everything we have, and the Labyrinth keeps us reloaded. And supplies us with new weapons. I like it.

* * *

That's it for Chapter Five. Mostly explaining why Kyuubey is the way he is and setting the stage for Homura's interactions with everyone. School starts next chapter and it will be funny. Kyuubey will be amused greatly by the punishment Alex goes through. Yes, he's still an asshole at heart, but still a good person despite this. And the Crisis Core and Advent Children part just made sense when I needed to call them something. It was supposed to be replaced, but it sounded better than what I eventually came up with. (Nothing) And, just in case anybody was having difficultly translating the words of Oktavia, this is what she said: "Nothing much. Just spilling my guts for all to hear. What are you doing, dumbass?" and "Shit no."

I don't own the intellectual property behind the Compilation of Final Fantasy VII, but I do own copies of Crisis Core and Advent Children.

Thanks for reading!


	6. Purity

Alright, chapter 6. I see people aren't reading much farther then chapter 1. Please, tell me what you think about this, I really want to know. Is it good, are there issues, what is there that you may have issues with. If I don't have this information, I can't do anything but look at the graphs and tables and guess what people want to read. I am not able to read minds, people. Regardless, I plan on finishing this, whether people read it or not.

Enough of that, please enjoy the chapter!

* * *

School. Actually, middle school. I thought I was done with this shit. I can deal with college, but middle school? Really? Can I just skip this?

"No, Alex. You can't just skip this."

Go away. Let me sleep, please.

"No, we will not go away."

What do you want, oh cruel one?

"For you to wake up."

Oh, fine. I'll wake up.

"Good morning, everyone. How much longer until classes start?"

"You're not in college right now, you know that, right?"

"Right…Kyuubey!"

" _Yes?"_

"What is the legal status of Momo Sakura?"

" _I've checked the records, and according to them, Momo Sakura was declared legally dead, her body never recovered from the site of the fire that killed her parents. Her sister survived, so it was assumed that she survived as well, but she never turned up. This confirms my earlier hypothesis that, somehow, when you entered Kyoko's dream you ended up time traveling. Events still played out the same, given that everything is as it should be, but only now has Momo returned."_

"That's good, right?"

" _It is. I already submitted the paperwork to have her United States Citizenship transferred to Japanese Citizenship. Her place in the timeline has her going to the United States after a kidnapping and obtaining asylum in America .You found her and brought her home to her older sister. It's why Kyoko was the way she was when she met you. By that time, she had already been reunited with her sister, despite the event not happening until after she met and bonded with you."_

"How does that work?"

" _I'll tell you later, you have to get to school."_

"Damn you…"

* * *

"Kaname-san, are you sure you want to contract with me?"

"Yes!"

"Before you finish making your decision, I want to make another offer. I can grant you a wish and return you to an ordinary girl. You won't lose the bond to Alex, so he can protect you from Witches, you can still access the information is his mind, and you don't run the risk of becoming a Witch yourself."

"Why are you telling me this?"

"I'm telling you this because poor communication kills…and the fact that Alex already _knows_ this and you could just get it out of him anyway. Why do you think he's always honest? The other reason is that Homura-san is perfectly willing to attack me and by making this offer, you have chosen this fate of your own free will. Death may not hinder me for long, unlike Alex, but it's still a pain in the ass."

"I want-"

"I will not accept a contract either way until you come back from school. You will think about it, unlike Sayaka-san, who just charged headlong into the contract."

"Okay…"

"Once you do come back to school, come here and I will grant your wish. Now, have fun at school."

Kyuubey-san is right…I need to think about this some more. I don't want to regret this.

"Kyuubey-san, where are you going?"

"Alex saw the clock and went back to sleep. I can't blame him; his classes usually start at noon if not later. I am going to wake him up. Please cover Momo's ears. This will be loud."

"Okay." As soon as I do so, Kyuubey enters Alex's room.

" **WAKE YOUR SORRY ASS UP! NOW, MOVE MOVE MOVE! DON'T FALL BACK ASLEEP, PRINCESS; YOU'VE GOT WORK TO DO! COME ON, WAKE UP, JACKASS!** "

A gunshot rings out. Aren't guns illegal in Japan? More gunshots in rapid succession.

"Sub-machine gun. And yes, they are illegal to own as a civilian."

"Then why does he own one?"

"Because it's formed out of his magic. Until he makes it, it doesn't exist."

"How do you know that?"

"Because I've been watching him, and he actually does have your best interests at heart. I also studied his background this morning."

"Stop shooting me! How are you shooting me? You don't have fingers!"

"Are aliens subject to Japanese law?"

"Yes, if they are also human."

"I see what you did there."

"I'M UP, I'M UP!"

"Good. Let's be on our way."

"Kyuubey, you can't go to school with me."

"Then I won't. I'll go with Mami instead."

"No."

"Tomoe-san, do you mind if I go to school with you?"

"Not at all."

"There you go."

Well, it seems Kyuubey is going to school with us. I don't know how good an idea this is.

"Kyuubey, before we go, I want you to leave all of your weapons here."

"Fine." All I hear after that are things hitting the ground. Should I go see what's going on?

"Is anyone else curious about what Rockholt-san meant by weapons?"

"Kyuubey, weapons also include the ammo for the guns. Don't forget the missiles."

"How am I supposed to feel safe without my fifteen AK-47's, seventeen Smith and Wesson Model 500's, twenty fragmentation, smoke, flash, and incendiary grenades, ten RPG's, and other assorted weapons?"

"Kyuubey, stop poking fun at Open Carry Texas, the NRA, and every American who believes that only 'good guys with guns' can stop 'bad guys with guns.' I realize that some of them are idiots who feel the need to carry loaded automatic weapons everywhere they go and want to abolish gun free zones everywhere, likely including schools."

"Fine..."

"Well, shall we go?"

* * *

I would like to say, right now, that I hate school. It's even worse now that four young women are mining my brain for information and giving me a splitting headache in the process. But now, they are busy eating, and I just found that this school has a church organ for reasons I don't know. I asked for permission to play a song and my request was granted.

"Rockholt-san, what do you plan on playing?"

Saotome-sensei, a woman who does little in the way of teaching, preferring to talk about her love life instead. She also seems obsessed with my new classmate Nakazawa Matsuoka, which can get really creepy at times.

"One-Winged Angel, sensei." I don't give her an opportunity to respond, preferring to just play the song.

...

About halfway through, I saw Homura reflected on the pipes, but didn't stop, I had a song to finish after all.

...

"Hello, Akemi-san. May I help you?"

"Not at the moment. I just wanted to know if you are aware that everyone in the school heard your little performance."

"Really? Did they like it?"

"No one seemed to recognize the song, but you did very well. You should be proud of yourself."

"Good to know my practice hasn't gone to waste..."

"Now, we have to get back to class."

"Do we have to?"

"Yes."

"Fine..."

* * *

At last, my salvation has come! School is finally over!

"Everyone, would you mind coming to the hospital with me?" Hmm? To the hospital, Sayaka-san?

"Oh, is it time to see Kyousuke-kun?"

"Yep."

"I see...I get to meet the boyfriend you forced me to replace when I met your mother..."

"Don't say that out loud in public like that! People will start talking!"

"And now they will, due entirely to the fact that you are causing a scene." Wait, we're missing someone..."Where's Kyuubey?"

It doesn't take long for him to appear, his head erupting out of Tomoe's massive cleavage. Did her breasts suddenly get...bigger?

 _"I am right here."_ Apparently, Kyuubey is now visible to everyone.

 _"Are you girls aware that the 'Soldier of Peace' that Alex favors so much is actually him cosplaying a video game character?"_

 _"Really?"_

 _"Yes, Cloud Strife to be exact."_

 _"Who is Cloud Strife?"_

 _"..."_

 _"..."_

 _"...Really, Madoka? You've never heard of Cloud Strife? And you live in Japan?"_

 _"He of the mighty spiky hair! He's **legendary** for it."_

 _"Really?"_

 _"Yes. His hairstyle was insane when he was designed. Advent Children calmed it down significantly."_

 _"Kyuubey, why did you jump into this conversation?"_

 _"I don't know."_

 _"I see..."_

"We're here."

"Are we? Where did the time go?"

"Good afternoon, Miki-san. Here to see Kamijo-san?"

"Yes."

"I hope things go better this time, Miki-san."

"Thank you."

Well, that doesn't sound good...I wonder what the story is here...

"Kamijo-kun is slowly becoming more and more irrational. The doctors can't figure out why and are close to just handing him back to his family to deal with him."

"I see...In the states, we would send that person to see a psychologist and then a therapist if he is deemed mentally unfit. We try to help them, not just hand them off to their family to hide them away for the sake of family pride. Of course, there are exceptions..." I never really understood the Social Darwinism in Japanese culture. Of course, I don't understand a lot of things...

"Hello, Hitomi-chan!"

"Hello, Hitomi-chan."

"Hello, Madoka-chan, Sayaka-chan." With that, we enter the room.

"I have been waiting for you, Alex. It's been a long time since I have seen you last, yet it feels like only yesterday that we met..."

"How do you know my name?"

* * *

They know each other? No, Rockholt-san couldn't know him, or at least he doesn't seem to remember him if he does. What is Kamijo-kun talking about?

"Don't you remember me, my old friend? You should, after all, I'm here due to your actions, and, perhaps, lack thereof."

"I'm sorry; you must have me mistaken for somebody else. I don't know you, this is my first time in Japan, after all...There's no way I could know you."

"Do you really believe that? Your sins are not erased by forgetting they ever happened. We knew each other, I remember that rather clearly. Just as clearly as I remember you taking the use of my hands from me." What? How could Rockholt-san have done that, if they never met until now?

"What are you talking about?"

"You truly don't remember those who you killed? Those whose lives you have ruined, whose blood stains your hands, whose souls you have shattered? I envy you; you don't have to live with their screams as you left them to rot..." Kamijo-kun, what are you talking about?

"What the hell are you talking about? I'm fairly certain I would have remembered something like that if I did it. That and I wouldn't be here; I'd be on Death Row."

"Would you? Do you really believe that? Because I remember it clearly. You tried to kill me, but instead you had to settle for my hands. I suppose I should thank you for your mercy, but I don't want to push my luck..."

"I've been patient with you, but clearly you've lost your mind."

"Rockholt-san, are you telling the truth?"

"If my memories are correct, yes, I am."

"If you're memories are correct, Alex."

"Shut up, I don't have time for you...Wait.'It feels only yesterday that we met?' Holy shit, I know who you are!"

"I must say, it's about time." Rockholt-san turns to me.

"Hitomi-san, this may sound weird, but please, bear with me. Sakura-san will explain to you what I mean when I say this." He then looks Kamijo-kun in the eye, who is just smiling. "You're that thing Kriemhild ripped out of Madoka yesterday. How are you still alive? Kriemhild was very through in dealing with you."

"I have my ways of survival."

"Is that so?"

"Indeed, but the action that would land me in the second ring of the seventh circle is enough to circumvent it, even if only temporarily."

"Second ring of the seventh circle..." Rockholt-san starts muttering to himself.

"Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't the second ring of the seventh circle the Forest of Suicides?" W-who said that!? Forest of S-suicides? What's going on?

"Don't do it. That isn't your life to give."

"It became my life as soon as he gave it to me! Kyousuke gave his life to me, to do with as I pleased! So yes, it is my life to give-and take-at my leisure!" He smiles yet again, a cruel, mocking smirk. "Now tell me," His voice is soft and polite, "what do you intend to do about it? After all, you may want to deal with the Witch that's about to emerge...right...about...now."

* * *

Oh no...This asshole **planned** for all of this! The Witch, Hitomi being here, the attempt to destroy my mind by making the girl's doubt me and creating positive feedback loop...This guy is good, I'll give him that. First, we have to stop the Witch.

"Hitomi-san!" I grab her and force her face against my chest, along with Madoka. Kyuubey uses his magic to shield the vision of Kyoko, Mami, and Sayaka. The bastard slit his throat wide open...Damn it!

"Sayaka, take Hitomi home and make sure she is safe! Everyone else, come with...me?" It seems it's too late. The Witch has already captured me.

"Hello?"

What the!

The Witch...is right behind me. I know it. Okay Alex, no sudden moves. Try not to set the Witch off.

Okay, the Witch is a pink Shy Guy with a head like a candy wrapper. She doesn't seem aggressive...yet. Maybe she's a young Witch, confused about everything that's happened to her? It's been known to happen.

"Ah...Hello?" She hugs me. Either she's unique, or I'm losing my mind. I've never heard of a conversation with a Witch that wasn't the Type-3 Walpurgisnacht, so I could end up in the records for something other than my absurd number of Grief Seeds and my meeting with said Walpurgisnacht.

You know, it just started to sink in just how _tiny_ this Witch is.

Something's coming. Another Witch. And some Puella Magi. Four of them.

I get it. This Witch managed to hold on to her sanity, her humanity, and doesn't want to be a part of a Type-2 Walpurgisnacht. I gather her into my arms. Of course, I could be wrong about this, so don't take my words at face value. Humans have been known to lie, after all.

The familiars are already starting to form the new body. She's afraid.

"My name is Alex, what's your name?" Try to keep calm. Be gentle. I don't need her going berserk on me right now.

"Charlotte... My name is Charlotte..."

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Charlotte. How are you?"

"I'm fine..." Her voice is low. She's shy, and it's adorable.

The tenacious Witch of Sweets.

"Don't worry; I'll keep you safe, okay?"

"Okay..." I place her on my back and engage Dark Muse. I may need that offensive magic.

Three more Puella Magi enter the Labyrinth. I need to identify the Witch, see what I can do to help. "Hold on, Charlotte. I don't want you to fall."

"Okay..." Her grip tightens as I begin my ascent, going as slowly as possible so as not to alert the Witch, or the Puella Magi. Don't want them to get distracted trying to save me. I got eyes on her as runes appear before me. This is Eresia, the blasphemous Witch of Destruction. It had to be Eresia...This could get ugly.

* * *

Alex, the not-Witch, is soooo nice to me! He hugged me, he talked to me, he protected me...I wish more people were like him! That other Witches are mean, and hurt me, but now Alex will be my hero! Maybe he can find that black cat that turned me into this? Then he can turn me back? Please?

* * *

Okay Alex, think. You need to do something to stop Eresia while protecting Charlotte. You have magic, now use it.

 _"Oh spiritum sanctum ruinam, responde causam meam et inducam illos tuos misericordes iudicium et percutiet eos qui contradicere voluntati Tuae! Regnum Dei!"_

Upon the completion of my incantation, white marbles coalesce and slam into the Witch...and more importantly, the almost completed body formed of the familiars. It won't be enough to break the barriers, but it is enough to set it back to the beginning, buying us precious time to kill Eresia. I don't know how long it took, but it was almost done when I was dragged in. Oh and just so you know, my little marbles pack as much a punch as Mami's 'Tiro Finale' each, and I've got hundreds of them raining down on Eresia and the Familiar shell. Mostly the shell, I just want to distract Eresia.

The Puella Magi seem to be holding their own rather well, but are out of their league in single combat, and it shows. The only thing keeping them alive is their teamwork. They are likely friends and/or to weak individually to tackle powerful Witches alone.

Now that I think about it, I should probably describe Eresia, shouldn't I? Okay, think of a neon pink giant centipede from hell with a giant huntsman spider (also from hell) for a head and massive _Vampyroteuthis infernalis_ (literally: Vampire Squid of Hell) as its claws. The spider part is fluorescent green and the Vampire Squid claws are grey. There are orange patches all over the Witch, and a pentagram on the abdomen of the spider. It just looks weird. At about 40 feet in length from tail to the base of the head, 10 feet tall, and a head that's 30 feet across and half that from fangs to end of the abdomen, it is huge. I don't know how on earth this thing came about, but it has.

And now I've manage to piss her off.

"Are you ladies alright?" I don't think they expected to hear a male voice in this place.

"We're fine. You need to get out of here."

"I'll be fine, unless things go horribly wrong."

"The Witch is coming back." My marbles are hitting her, but Eresia isn't slowing down much. I have to admit, I'm impressed.

"Eat this." I fire a laser (that no one, aside from myself, can actually see) and cause severe burns on my left hand in the process, hitting Eresia in one of her nine eyes. The big one in the center of her octagon of eyes, a huge target just begging to be hit. And since the speed of light in air is about 90km slower than the speed of light in a vacuum, it hit effectively instantaneously and caused all the water to begin boiling. Not instantly though; to get that effect I would need to increase the energy of my laser to such a degree that I would **lose my hand the moment I fired it** , protection spells or no. Speaking of, I need to improve them. These burns _hurt_. Oh, and I managed to kill Eresia in a rather bloody manner. Not all fights with uberpowerful beings will be a long, drawn out affair. I just wanted to get this over with. I just got an idea on how to improve my laser. Just have to find out if it works first.

"Can I help?" Hmm? Charlotte?

"You want to help?"

"Yes..." She comes around to my front and waits for me to lower my finger. She then puts my entire hand in her mouth and...is that her tongue? I have a tiny Witch licking and sucking on my hand, healing it in the process. How do I know? Well, the pain is going away. She removes her mouth from my hand to reveal unburned skin and proceeds to do a little dance.

"I'm keeping her; I don't care what anyone says. She's adorable, she can heal me, and she dances. If anyone has a problem with it, tell me now and I won't care at all."

"But she's a Witch."

"And your point is?"

* * *

He's dead. That's all there is to it. He killed himself, saying that it was Rockholt-san's fault. A person he's never met before today. I want to hate him, but he really did nothing wrong.

"Hello, Shizuki Hitomi. What would you say if I told you that I could revive Kamijo-san?" A black cat...thing is talking to me. It looks a lot like Kyuubey.

"I wouldn't believe you."

"I can, you know. I can grant any wish you ask of me, provided that you have the potential to justify it. Reviving Kamijo Kyousuke is well within your reach."

"What do you want?"

"For you to make a contract with me."

"A contract?"

"Yes, a contract. Your friends have already formed contracts with my colleague, Kyuubey, and have become Magical Girls in exchange for their wish."

"Then, can I make a contract?"

"You can."

"I wish...I wish that Kamijo-san could live again."

"Very well. I will grant that wish, but it will take some time. Humans don't just recover from a slit throat, after all."

A green egg forms, encased in gold. I feel...tired.

"Rest, Shizuki-san. You need rest. Oh, and my name is Jubey." That sounds like a good idea.

* * *

"Alex?"

"Yes, Charlotte?"

"Where are we going?"

"Home."

"Home...I want to go home..." Its moments like this that reminds me why the Exorcists exist. No one deserves this. No one, especially not young children.

"Charlotte..."

"I want to go home...I want to see mom and dad again...Can we go home?"

"Charlotte...How old are you?"

"Eight..." If Kyuubey contracted her, he has some explaining to do...

"A black cat said that if I make a contract with him, he would make mom feel better. She did, but the gem he gave me turned black when I saw her..." Another Incubator...I'll have to ask Kyuubey about it. I have more important things to worry about right now.

"Charlotte, when we get to my house, I can turn you back into a regular girl. How does that sound?"

"Really?" she sounds so vulnerable, so hopeful, so trusting.

"Yeah."

* * *

"Would you like something to eat?"

"Do you have cheese?" Cheese, eh?

"Yeah, I have cheese."

"May I have some cheese?"

"Sure." I give her her cheese and just watch her. She doesn't deserve the fate she was given. I did some searching, and found a missing children's report for an eight year old whose mother just recovered from cancer. The girl, Momoe Nagisa, went missing seven days ago, soon after leaving the hospital with her mother. The only thing of interest that was reported at the scene was a black cat with a white head and red eyes. I think that's the Incubator in question.

"Charlotte, when you're done, I'll turn you back to normal, and get you to your family. Okay?"

"Okay..." She's clearly excited, as she starts eating even faster. Soon enough, the cheese is gone and she's staring at me.

"Are you ready?" She begins nodding rapidly. "Okay. Now can you just stand in the circle?" I indicate the circle I drew the day I arrived. A simple circle, nothing special about it. She does so, likely wondering what I'm going to do. I take a deep breath. "Okay, here we go."

The circle lights up, and geometric shapes appear within. Her Grief Seed begins to glow and change shape, beginning to resemble the Soul Gem it started as. Her body also began to change to more human dimensions. Long white hair and a pink dress (kinda) form first. Long black socks and brown shoes with bows come next. After that, her newly purified Soul Gem enters her, returning her to human.

A Grief Seed, bearing the exact same design as Charlotte's, drops into my hand. That shouldn't happen, but it did. What happened?

"I wanted to stay with you..." Charlotte? I just exorcised her, but she's still here...Does that mean, Charlotte was her own soul? That Momoe Nagisa and the Witch she became, Charlotte, became individuals, given their own bodies by my exorcism? I don't know what happened, but it did. Al that matters is that, with the lone exception of Kamijo, everyone is safe and unharmed. I can worry about this later.

"Are you awake, Momoe-chan?"

"Mmhm. Yes, Alex-nii..." She's tired. No surprise, after everything she's been through. And it seems that I now have a little sister. Not a bad first day of school.

"Get some rest. I'll take you home tomorrow, okay?"

"Okay..." And there she goes. Best get her to bed and get some sleep myself. It's been a long day.

* * *

Hitomi, you foolish girl. You never stated how long Kamijo had to stay alive, did you?

* * *

And that's it for Chapter Six. Sorry this took so long, and for being relatively short. I wanted to show an exorcism, have some humor, and bring the thing that possessed Madoka back, showing that not even Kriemhild Gretchen could kill it. I also introduced Charlotte, who is now Alex's mascot, whether he likes it or not. Kamijo's death was partially to show how cruel that thing could be, and to give me a reason to make Hitomi a Puella Magi. Next chapter has the aftermath of Jubey's interpretation of Hitomi's wish and Nagisa returning to her family. Just so you know, Eresia's name is Italian for Heresy.

Have a good day, everyone.


	7. Core

This here is Chapter 7. Several things happen, some humor is thrown in, and other things. To a Mr. James Birdsong, a review of 'Cool six chapters' is not very helpful. Details as to what made those six chapters cool are helpful. Unless you are referring to the fact that they are cool because there are six chapters, which is even less helpful. I don't know why, exactly, but it could be because it tells me absolutely nothing. But that's just me. What do I know?

* * *

"Kyuubey, I need to talk to you after school."

"About what?"

"Another Incubator is out there, creating contracts and forcing those girls to become Witches early."

"I see. I'll look around and see what I can turn up. Keep your eyes and ears open, I have a bad feeling about today."

"Alright, take care of yourself. I have something I need to do first."

"One last thing…When are you going to have the girls over again? I enjoyed being cuddled."

"You just want to see me get my ass kicked by their fathers."

"Guilty."

"You asshole…" A girl with long white hair opens my door.

"Is everything alright?"

"Everything's fine. Kyuubey and I are having our annual morning disagreement, nothing to be worried about."

"Okay…" I throw my shirt on, leaving it unbuttoned for now.

"Let's get something to eat, and then we'll see about getting you home, sound good?"

"Sounds good!" After a satisfying meal of bacon and eggs, we head out to face the day.

"Kyuubey, I'll need my car."

"You have a car?"

"Yeah. As it turns out, working for Kyuubey is a very good financial decision." A very nice car that is well outside my price range is presented to us. "I'm going to kill him…"

"Why?" Oh, the innocence of youth is a wondrous thing…

"This car is well outside my price range. A fourteen year old has no business owning a Lamborghini Aventador J."

"I see…" I have to admit, the car is _nice_. I don't think I want to know where Kyuubey procured the funds for it, however...

"Shall we go?"

* * *

...I forgive Kyuubey...

That. Was. Awesome. And it seems that Momoe-chan agrees.

 _"Alex, where are you? It's almost time for school."_

 _"Remember the Witch I dealt with yesterday? I managed to prevent the formation of a Type-2 Walpurgisnacht and managed to return the Witch to human. She's young, only about 8 years old. Keep an eye out, there's another Incubator out there, mass-producing Witches. I don't know how it is, but a newly contracted Puella Magi should not form a Witch within a day of making her contract. I just want you girls to be safe."_

 _"I see..."_

 _"Good morning, Mami."_

 _"Good morning, Alex."_

 _"Good morning!"_

 _"And good morning to you too, Madoka."_

 _"Good morning."_

 _"Good morning, Sayaka."_

 _"Focus."_

 _"Right. Does anyone know what Kyuubey's doing? Homura wants to know."_

 _"I do."_

 _"Let's hear it, Alex."_

 _"Kyuubey is currently in his room, likely geeking out...You really need to hear this."_

 _"I hope you're watching, Alex. With my eyes, I'll search for the other Incubator; with my left paw, I'll do your math homework; with my tail, I'll draw up plans to raid the panty drawers of all of your girls; and with my right paw...I'll take a potato chip... **AND EAT IT!** "_

 _"..."_

 _"..."_

 _"..."_

 _"..."_

 _"Homura-chan would like to say '...'"_

 _"...Forget it, I'm killing him...I told him about copyright laws, and he just quoted Death Note without citing his source...That and the plans to raid, have to kill him for that as well."_

"Alex...we're here..."

"Are we? Then let me be the first to say 'welcome home.'" She smiles, a truly happy smile. It seems my weakness for happy endings is making itself known. There's nothing wrong with a happy ending; after all, the world isn't a completely cruel place. Meaningful conflict is the soul of drama, after all. If everything is exceedingly dark and edgy, I have to ask why the characters don't just kill themselves? There is a place for darkness, and there is a place for light. If there is no light at the end of the tunnel, why bother going on? Of course, that's just my personal belief. I don't think that merely having friends is enough to get by, but being a loner is an easy way to get killed.

Sorry about that, I often have to defend my views when my idealism is questioned. After all, idealism is for the stupid and the childish. Or so it is said.

 _"Kyuubey, can you make the car go away, maybe store it or something?"_

 _"Sure. Did they see my little act?"_

 _"Oh yeah, you may want to make yourself scarce, or they WILL kill you."_

 _"And this is different from the times you've threatened me...how?"_

 _"I'm your friend and we know it's a joke. They aren't your friend and they don't know it was a joke. Get ready for an asskicking next time they see you."_

 _"I will. Now, to start looking for the other Incubator. I'll be back."_

 _"Take care."_

 _"Thank you."_

* * *

So, it seems that Nagisa has been returned to human...So the rumors of the prowess of the Exorcists are true, at least in part. Now, all I have to do is figure out how they perform this 'miracle' and if it can be reproduced to a lesser effect. If it can, and the energy produced can be amplified, I could use it to open the Milky Way. Kyuubey may have caused this, but credit must be given where credit is due. He did provide the method by which we will fix his mistake. I cannot fault him for his attempt at atonement.

"Greetings, humans. I hope you are well. You will have to forgive my transgressions against your kind. I cannot talk for long, so I must be off. Farewell." Inclining my head, I leave the premises.

* * *

I'm ending it here, mostly beacuse this chapter isn't very important (yet), but it does flesh out Juubey and Kyuubey's place in the isolation of the galaxy. I'm sorry this took so long, for so little content. College got in the way. So...yeah.

Farewell, my friends.


	8. Smile

I apologize for the short chapter and long wait. I have been busy with school and other things that are no longer important. Anyway, here is the chapter the new chapter. It should explain some things and (hopefully) give everything up to now some context.

* * *

"Welcome back, Homura Akemi. It has been quite some time." Is that...

"Kyuubey? What are you doing here?"

"I have been watching over your body while you were in the Dream."

"Dream? You mean that... how do you know about that?"

The rat tilted his head. "I have known about the Dream for about thirty of your cycles. It is quite the place, wouldn't you agree?"

"My cycles..."

"Peace, Homura Akemi. I have no quarrel with you. Inspite of your goal to prevent me from contracting Madoka Kaname, I do not mean you harm."

"Since you seem willing to answer questions, mind telling me about that... dream?"

"The Dream is a world that exists outside of time. A world that shows a rare mercy towards those Magical Girls on the verge of becoming Witches. It draws those suffering children into itself, allowing them to live a full life according to their desires. Even if they wish to be Magical Girls once again, it protects them from becoming Witches, as in the Dream that you claimed witness to."

"Is Madoka in the Dream?"

"She is. But the Madoka you saw... was nothing more than a dream. An elaborate dream that attempted to draw you in, but a dream none the less." The Incubator trailed off, watching the sun as it set. "Homura, I would like to make you a deal."

"A deal? Why would I make a deal with you?"

"Simple. My offer to you is what you have always wanted. I will not contract Madoka under any circumstances. In return, I want you to prevent the Dream becoming a Nightmare."

"Why are you so interested in it?"

"Because the Dream is an infinite resource of unbound energy. As it is, the Dream is all but perfectly suited for our needs. However, someone is attempting to fill the Dream with grief."

"Wouldn't that benefit you?"

"Under ordinary circumstances, yes. However, there is a calculated seventy-five percent chance that the Dream will become a closed system. I don't believe I need to tell you why this scenario is unacceptable."

"Deal."

"That was fast."

"Why are you being so open with this information? Especially given the number of times I've attempted to kill you."

"The Dream seems to affect those who enter it in various ways. The reason why I'm not taking care of the Dream personally is because of the pronounced effect it has on Incubators. Regardless, if you need an example of this effect, look at us. You are willing to hear me out, and I am explaining this with great detail almost entirely unprompted. You did ask some rather leading questions." 'But I didn't...' He blinks. "Before I forget, be careful. The Dream can even affect your memories as it attempts to bring peace to you. Whether you let this happen to you, is up to you. That said, the Dream is highly likely to aid you."

"I will send you there. Also, may I suggest that you recruit your friends? They will surely be of great help to you."

"One last question. Is Alex Rockholt real?"

"Yes. Now are you ready?"

Deep breath. In. Out. "Let's go."

"Very well."

He never did tell me about Alex...


	9. Belief

There's some wordplay in this chapter that basically gives away the plot of this story, see if you can catch it.

* * *

"Welcome back, Homura. We have been expecting you." I can't move, I can't stop time, nothing. I knew I shouldn't have trusted Kyuubey. "Kyuubey did not send you into a trap, if that is what you are thinking. We know that you would not listen to Us and tear off after Madoka, so We took measures to prevent that until We have finished. Knowing you, you would have seen Us as an obstacle to saving Madoka and tried to kill Us. We do not wish to die. Not yet at least."

Who are you? "You would know Us as Alex Rockholt, but that is not Our true name. No, that name is lost to the sea of time, but please refer to Us as Rain Samoyo. We know what your current path will lead you to. If everything goes as We have envisioned, you will ultimately fail to prevent Madoka's wish; a wish that will lead her to becoming a Goddess. Her wish will be similar to this dream of Ours, but instead of a false reality to protect the innocence of those who have fallen, she will obtain the power to defeat every Witch and prevent any more from forming, superimposing her will on reality. In doing so, We will become a part of her new Law of Cycles, disconnected from this Law of Wheels."

I promised to save Madoka. "Madoka's wish is very specific. Do you wish to hear it?"

" _I want to erase every witch. Every witch from every world, from the past and future. With my own hands."_

"In other words, she has a wish that will render Our existence meaningless. In doing so, she will become a fundamental force of the universe, a force that would have driven Kyuubey insane. Under the current circumstances, the Kyuubey you are familiar with will not. Do you want to know why?"

"If I say yes, will you tell me where Madoka is?"

"No. We will tell you where Madoka is after We explain, not when you say yes."

"And if I don't?"

"We are very patient."

"Fine, speak."

"Very well. Imagine for a moment that you are an Incubator. You were born as a member of a race that forms a hivemind through proximity with others of your own kind. This hivemind encompasses most of the known universe. Now, as you grow, you know instinctively that emotions hinder the hivemind, separating the individual from the group. You have no idea what it means to _not_ have the hivemind to support you, so you accept this. As you live your life, you pursue the sciences and eventually achieve the impossible. You learn how to bypass the first law of thermodynamics, effectively creating unlimited energy. A momentous achievement, one that will be remembered for the rest of time. However, as time goes on and tests are carried out, a certain experiment is performed that gives everyone cause for concern. If this technique is ever used on a large-enough scale, the universe will begin to collapse under the mass of the new matter that is created as a side-effect. The energy produced is not unbound from thermodynamics and will form new matter from that energy according to the First Law of Thermodynamics.

"A potential solution is found, if nothing else it is a stopgap until something more effective is found. Converting emotions into energy. Experiments have found these emotions to be an efficient, reliable, and most importantly, _unbound_. A single harvest of this energy is not efficient enough, however, so another method must be devised. So the contract was developed and refined; in exchange for a single wish, the contracted individual would gather energy for the Incubators. The process of turning into a Witch was an unfortunate side-effect. The idea was that once the better solution was found, those who had been turned would be reverted to normal, with their wishes intact.

"Now, you go to a world that has a high potential for energy and a medium to model your contracts after. Magical Girls and other superheroes are admired, which human wouldn't want to be one? You offer your contract to young girls, offering them a chance to be like those they watch on T.V., protecting the people from monsters. Why, the story practically writes itself in their eyes. You continue doing this until _it_ happens. You find yourself going back in time with a young woman. Before I continue, would you like to guess what Incubator you are?"

"Kyuubey."

"Indeed. Now, Kyuubey could feel his connection to his race's hivemind, something he has never known life without, being ripped away from him, giving him the emotions that will forever prevent him from becoming one with his species. Emotions are a mental illness because they make it far more difficult to connect with the himemind. So now Kyuubey is all alone in the vast universe, knowing everything that is out there. Now he has a new appreciation for the plight of those who lack a hivemind to cope. Then, just as he comes to terms with his new life, he is once again pulled back in time, and discovers a doppelganger of himself. He was replaced. So, not only was he insane by the standards of his race, he was a paradox."

Two Kyuubeys?

"The Kyuubey that sent you here has been running interference for you, protecting you. Now, since you have listened to Our story, We will tell you where to find Madoka. At the moment, she is within the dream of Tomoe Mami."

All I need to know now is where that is relative to me. "We will show you the way, but be warned. Those that seek to corrupt Our dreams are not searching for her, but won't hesitate to end her life."

A portal, similar to those that serve as the entrance to Witch Barriers, forms before me. "Be safe, Homura Akemi. It would cause Us much pain if you were to be killed."

"Your concern is appreciated, but unnecessary. I'll be fine."

"We realize that you can take care of yourself, but that doesn't make Us worry any less. Be safe, if not for Us, then for Madoka." I step through the portal and behold the dream world of Mami.


	10. Outer Darkness

"Speech."

 _"Thoughts"_

 _'True' Alex Speech_

* * *

 _I apologize for this, Homura Akemi._

"Why should she bother with you?" Kyuubey didn't move away from my side. "Explain yourself quickly, Alex, or she will leave."

 _I understand. Homura, what will you do if Madoka chooses to stay, comforting the fallen Magical Girls who reside in this place?_

"If she is safe here, then I will also have to stay." Kyuubey climbed up to my shoulder.

"Then that means that I will find something to do here as well. I don't belong among the Incubators anymore."

 _This place was created by the Rain's, but in response to a wish made by a Magical Girl lost to us long ago. But time is convoluted in this never-ending dream, so perhaps it would be more correct to say that the wish has yet to be made._

"What's the point of this?"

 _The point of this exchange is to prepare you for the worst, because Madoka dwells in this dream, this Outer Darkness, of her own volition. The Rain that you spoke to made her an offer after she fell into despair, protecting you from something even worse. A glimmer of hope that later became a part of my being. It can be said that I am a real person, with real emotions, desires, hopes, dreams, and wishes. But at the same time I am also just a gestalt of the hope of the fallen Magical Girls, something that exists for the express purpose of bringing light to the curses that surround them. For all intents and purposes, I am a slave to you and yours. I create the scenarios and let them play out according to the desires of the ones I love the most._

"You 'love' them? You were made by them, so that's just your nature as a familiar."

 _Of course I love them, no matter the fact that they made me to love them. For the same reason that you love Madoka, you want to desperately save her, no matter the cost._

"I can accept that comparison."

 _I want to help you, the one who has earned her rest above all others; I don't want to see you struggle, cry, grieve, seethe. I hate it, above all other acts. I want you to be happy, to succeed in your mission, but that is beyond my power; so I do my best to manipulate events outside of this dream._

"Your influence is... appreciated." Even if it leads to hell, I can't stop, not here, not yet. "The Rain I spoke to, does that mean that there are more?"

 _Yes._

"So, they didn't speak in third person for the hell of it or to confuse me. I understand."

 _Do you?_

"I understand enough."

"Homura, go on ahead; I'll catch up." I don't trust the Incubator, but we still need each other; even if only for convenience. "I just have some final questions for Alex and you have to find Madoka."

 _I love all Magical Girls, but I love you most of all. But if you disrupt this dream, I will do what I must._

"Very well."

 _That said, if they choose to awaken and help you, I will still do whatever I can to support you. "Madoka... don't ever tell me not to save you. I'm not all-powerful. I am not able to save everyone. But... even so, I want to save you. So, don't say that anymore!"_

* * *

"So you're a glorified psychopomp, crafting 'heavens' for the Magical Girls that come under your care. Admirable, allowing them to live out any fantasy they choose without negative consequence, even if that fantasy includes making Witches into Magical Girls once again. I can't help but wonder what your heaven would be like."

 _As would I._

"I must say that these emotions aren't so bad once you get used to them, but it is still disconcerting to not feel my brethren. Almost enough to make me sick."

 _You're not what I expected to be honest, though I suppose it is, in and of itself, to be expected. An emotional Incubator is considered to be insane for a reason._

"Indeed." And the Incubator was nothing if not a bastard. "Do you think Homura would mind if I started to emulate Excalibur?"

 _FOOL! Of course she would. Do it anyway._

"I was going to, regardless of your response. But thank you for the excuse."

* * *

Homura came to in a rather comfortable bed. The unfamiliar ceiling was taken in, along with the rest of the room. Her Soul Gem is... odd, worryingly so. The color, the emblems, it's all correct, but something is off.

The door slid open, and Homura chambered a round. "Homura-san, are you alri-" Sakura froze; a perfectly understandable reaction to someone you trust aiming a gun at you. "N-now, let's not do anything rash."

"Why am I naked? And more importantly, why did Hitomi-san punch me?"

 _"This... is going to be a headache. I can feel it. I blame Kyuubey for this, I blame him most strongly."_


	11. Begin Blasphemy

Going forwards there will be two Kyuubeys in this work, one will be considered to be 'insane' and will be referred to as Kyuubey. The other will be considered 'sane' and will be referred to as Qbey. And yes, the two will interact with each other.

* * *

Knowing Mami, this dream is based around friendship and themes similar to it. That doesn't explain why I was punched before I arrived, but it does explain why Kyoko is here; she wouldn't have left her mentor if they were friends, or to be frank, if Mami wasn't able to bring the more aggressive Magical Girl around to her way of thinking. Assuming Magical Girls exist in this dream.

"I apologize for my actions, Sakura-san." I've since put my weapon away, and Kyoko doesn't seem to care about it anymore. It's the small things that you notice when you know to look for them. When you stumble in by accident, you can get caught up and miss a large number of the inconsistencies and then the desire to just let go. I'm sure that if circumstances had been different, I would have drifted away and I wouldn't know to care. A Witch's Barrier is rather obviously false, fantastic in ways that the real world must never meet.

"Don't worry about it, you did get punched by a friend, so I guess I can understand." The speech patterns are incorrect, but could be explained away as acclimation, but if Mami was submerged, she wouldn't care because her friend is safe with her. Everything would be as it should, because this is a perfect dream that she would never want to awaken from. "What's with that sigh?"

"Nothing." All I have to do is try to get back to my role in this dream and find Madoka. Patience will be key, as will getting my bearings. It won't do to charge off in search of her, when I could go day by day and learn her habits. Humans are creatures of habit and Madoka is no exception; there are daily rituals that she will perform without realizing that it's a ritual. Like that one timeline where she fell in love with Hitomi, every day she would toss a 100 yen piece into the fountain where she confessed to Hitomi without fail. Sayaka survived that timeline, as far as I'm aware, without becoming a Witch; while Kamijou still burned a torch for Hitomi, he was gentle and heard the newly-ordained Magical Girl out. Unfortunately, he was killed when Walpurgisnacht attacked along with Hitomi, prompting Madoka to make her wish.

"HOMURA-SAN!"

"Oh, I'm sorry."

"You sure you something isn't bothering you?"

"Just some thoughts, bouncing around inside my head."

"If you want to talk, just know that I'm hear to listen, okay?" Kyoko smiled bitterly. "We have school tomorrow, and your class is getting a transfer student. Get some sleep, and call me if you need anything." That student is most likely Alex, but it could also end up being Kyuubey. He did promise to not contract Madoka, he made no such promise not to make my life his amusement.

"FOOL!" Kyuubey, what the hell! "It is good that you haven't forgotten me!"

"How, exactly, would I forget about a massive pain in the ass?" This dream is starting to get to me.

"You FOOL! How dare you use that language young lady! In my day, no Magical Girl, no matter how weathered, ever had to resort to barbarism such as what I have just heard!" Don't let him get to you, this is just a dream; and he just wants to get under your skin. You are interesting to him, not vital. "Very good." Okay, so maybe I'll be able to get some sleep. "YOU FOOLISH FOOL OF A FOOL!" The Incubator decided that my chest is a great place to sleep.

Why am I not surprised? And now he's getting thrown towards a wall. "Really? I can understand going insane, but sexual harassment?"

"Fool, I am pure and innocent. And this isn't anywhere close to sexual harassment." The bastard has already fallen asleep.

* * *

So, Homura-chan made her way here. Good.

"Watch over her, Alex-chan. Make sure that nothing bad happens to her, okay? And Homura-chan, don't you dare crack and become a Witch, I'm not done here, not yet. I can't save you from despair should you fall." The time has come, the stars are right; all I need to do is fight. It doesn't matter if I win, just so long as I _don't lose._ Walpurgisnacht is approaching, with all of the power the Dreadnought Witch can possibly bring to bear. In this Outer Darkness, there is one ally I know I can rely on.

"Rise and fight, Suleika." The delusional witch of darkness, in the black that exists outside of the universe, is at her absolute strongest. But will it be enough?

For the sake of everyone, I can only hope so.

* * *

 **Illegal Contracts**

 **The act of an Incubator granting a wish and placing the soul within a Soul Gem, creating a Puella Magi, constitutes a Legal Contract, an action that will have tangible gains (a Witch) in the goal of preventing the premature heat death of the universe. Illegal Contracts, on the other hand, do not make the contracted individual into a Puella Magi; the Incubator has the right to interpret the wish however they please, so long as the end result is tangentially related to the original wish. Anyone can have an Illegal Contract, even if the individual in question has no potential, including contracted Puella Magi.**

 **Kyuubey, after being unstuck in time, has made three such contracts:**

 **Hitomi Shizuki- Wording Unknown, has themes of revival and purity.**

 **Alex *******- Wording Unknown, involves sending people back in time.**

 **Madoka Kaname- "Allow me to enter the Outer Darkness, to summon the Witches that reside there, to ensure that the sacred rest not be disturbed." A direct wish, this allowed the contractor to enter the Outer Darkness as she pleases. Wielding powers similar to the patron of the Dreams therein, she has taken his responsibility to protect the area beyond entropy from corruption, to ensure that the sacred rest of the fallen is not disturbed; exactly as she wished. However, Kyuubey interpreted the wish and ensured that the summoned Witches won't immediately try to murder her.**

 **His counterpart, Qbey, has made no such contracts.**


End file.
